As Tucsonans are preparing for Fourth of July celebrations, officials at the Pima Animal Care Center are preparing for what is typically their busiest week of the year.
Independence day fireworks and festivities can spook pets, causing them to flee, and many of them end up in the care of PACC.
In the week following July 4 last year, PACC took in 433 pets (262 dogs, 164 cats, and seven others), for an average of 61 a day, said Kayleigh Murdock, a PACC spokesperson. In 2022, that number was 365 pets (238 dogs, 124 cats, and three others) from July 5-12, for an average of 52 pets a day.
There are crucial steps that pet owners should take over the holiday to keep their animals safe, Murdock said.
“On the holiday itself, it’s critical to keep your pet in a quiet and safe area indoors rather than keeping them outside or taking them to a fireworks show,” Murdock said in an email. “It’s important to remember that all pets can be lost. Having your pet microchipped and keeping a collar and tag with up-to-date information on your pet is the fastest and most effective way of getting them home if they’re lost.”
Last month, PACC shared a particularly special reunion story on their social media account.
The dog, named Princess Leia, was brought into PACC back in March, after she was found wandering the streets of Tucson near Ajo and Kenny.
“The dog came into us on March 12, we scanned her chip and found the information to try to contact the owner,” Murdock said.
Princess Leia was lost over a year ago all the way in Texas, what happened in that year is a mystery, according to the post. But Murdock said that PACC was able to get in contact with the owner through the microchip information, and Princess Leia was picked up the next day.
Although Princess Leia’s story is extraordinary, Murdock said that microchips help reunite pets with their families on a regular basis.
“About a quarter to a third of dogs that come into the shelter do end up reunited with their families,” Murdock said. “That could be through chips, that could be because somebody saw that we posted their dogs online.”
“That’s one thing that’s really good about this story, is that not only was the dog’s microchip registered, it was registered with the correct information,” she said.
For those interested in microchipping their furry friends ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, PACC is offering its last free microchip clinic of the season, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday July 3. The clinic will be held at PACC, located at 4000 N. Silverbell Road. During the clinic PACC will be offering free microchips, custom ID tags and educational info on all things microchips.
“The big thing with microchips is that we want to get them in pets, but we also need people to register them. I think a lot of people don’t realize that,” Murdock said. “Their information needs to be updated. It needs to be registered with the company, if your phone number changes, if your address changes, that stuff has to be kept up to date. Unfortunately, a good chunk of the pets that come in that do have microchips do not have the information that we need.”
Having your pet microchipped, and following these steps, Murdock said, could help save their life this Fourth, and make sure they’re returned safe.
“With microchips and collars and tags combined, the chance is more than 90% the pet will make it home,” Murdock said.
