Pets Get Cabin Fever Too

As the number of people in the area rises, so does the number of family pets. With spring slowly setting in, pets of all sizes are getting cabin fever.

On an average, High Plains Vet Clinic in Sidney has 10 dogs brought in to the pound each month. When a dog is running loose, the police department drops it off at the vet clinic. Although they legally only have to keep the dog for 48 hours, High Plains works to find an adoptive family or the rightful owner. Sometimes they hold onto a dog for a whole two weeks before they are adopted or the owner locates them.

The importance of identification for pets is growing as the number of animals brought in to the pound increases. There are two main ways of identifying a dog, the collar and ID tag as well as a micro-chip. Micro-chips are tiny chips that are implanted just under the skin. When an animal has a chip and is picked up, the vet can use a chip reader which will give them that chip’s ID number. Once they have the ID number, they call the hotline and get the contact info to find the owner. Both options are fairly inexpensive as High Plains Vet Clinic, in Sidney, has ID tags that can be ordered for $12 as well as micro-chips for just $24.

Whether it is a collar and tag or a micro-chip, identification will help the clinics return your dog back to you. For the price of 12 or 24 dollars, that is not as expensive as replacing your furry friend.

As far as adopting a new pet, the clinic just charges the cost of the rabies shot which is fifteen dollars. They have been very lucky with adoptions through the use of Facebook. Between posting the available animals on to their Facebook page and help from the MonDak Humane Society, they usually have them adopted out within a week.

As the weather warms up, more animals will be running around outside so help out the police and the vet by using identification.

Each clinic will vary in prices and brands they use. If you would like more information on micro-chips please call your local vet clinic.