Free Microchip ID for Cats and Dogs

Oct. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- Cat and dog owners are invited to bring their pets to the Kmart Plaza in Winter Park for free microchipping. It’s part of the third annual “Family & Pets Safety Event.”

“Identification is essential to your pet’s overall safety,” says Judy Charuhas, co-founder of WinterParkLostPets.com which is sponsoring the pet safety portion of the event. One hundred microchips and the veterinarian provided service to implant them at the event are being provided by Orange County Animal Services at no charge. There is, however, a one-time chip registration fee to register the pet owner’s address and contact information with a national database.

No appointment is required. The 100 free microchips will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis, limit two pets per household.

In addition, certificates for 3-year rabies vaccination will be available from mobile vaccination clinic CheapShots (www.CheapShots.us) for $3 each. Locations, dates and times of the CheapShots mobile clinic are listed at www.CheapShots.us. Proceeds from the $3 certificates are being donated by CheapShots to the Lost Pets Foundation.

The “Family & Pets Safety Event” will also feature free pet safety demonstrations, information and giveaways from a variety of local pet related businesses, veterinarians, and service organizations.

Winter Park-based Park Your Bark Pet Grooming will provide free nail trims. If you’ve ever tried to trim your pet’s nails, now you can turn this task over to a professional.

VCA Howell Branch Animal Hospital will offer free scans of your pet’s existing microchip to ensure that the chip contact information is up-to-date. If you’ve moved or changed your phone number it is essential that your contact information be updated.

“This the second year that pet safety is included as part of the Kmart Safety Event and we are delighted to be invited back as the sponsor the pet activities,” said Shelley Heistand, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker who along with Ms Charuhas co-founded WinterParkLostPets.com and the Lost Pets Foundation.

The annual Family & Pets Safety Event is one day only, Saturday October 13, 2012, from 10 am – 3 pm, at the Kmart Plaza in Winter Park, Florida.

ABOUT WINTERPARKLOSTPETS.COM: WinterParkLostPets.com is a free public service for posting pets that have been lost or found in Winter Park, Florida, and immediately adjacent neighborhoods. The website, founded in September 2009, has helped reunite more than 460 pets since its inception.

WinterParkLostPets.com includes an online photo listing of lost and found pets, as well as checklists for what pet owners can do if their pet is missing, plus what citizens can do if they find a wandering pet. There is also a tool for creating printable handout flyers of lost/fount pets. Included in the free web-based service is an email-distributed alert that notifies residents when pets are reported lost or when stray pets are found. Residents of Winter Park, Florida, can sign up for the free email alerts at www.WinterParkLostPets.com.