Found Animals Foundation Unveils Innovative Technology to Reunite Lost Pets with Owners

Found Animals' Microchip Registry Automatically Alerts Owners When Lost Pets Are Found

LOS ANGELES, April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Found Animals Foundation (Found Animals) is unveiling a unique program that will change the way Californians think about pet identification. By providing low-cost microchips and scanners to shelters, clinics and veterinarians in conjunction with a patented online pet microchip registry system that is free to all pet owners, Found Animals will make microchipping and registering animals and reuniting lost pets with their families faster and easier than ever before.

Since 2006, Found Animals has donated more than 300,000 microchips to clinics and shelters throughout Los Angeles. Starting April 20-22, 2012, Found Animals will unveil its Microchip Registry at the America's Family Pet Expo in Costa Mesa, Calif., at booth 706. The Found Animals Microchip Registry offers sophisticated features like an automatic alert system. When a lost pet is found by a shelter, that shelter is able to use the pet's microchip number to start an automated alert that immediately notifies the pet owner where they can find their pet. These automatic alerts will call, text, and email the pet owner and any emergency contacts. Also at the Expo, Found Animals will microchip pets for $15, which includes free lifetime registration.

"These immediate Found Pet Alerts are something no other provider is offering," said Erin Nelson, Microchip Program Director of Found Animals. "Automated alerts ensure the greatest likelihood of contacting an owner using minimal shelter time and effort. It's all part of a process that is easier, faster and more effective for pet owners and shelters alike."

The Found Animals Microchip Registry is a free, nonprofit service dedicated to reuniting lost pets with their owners. The website provides a one-stop online destination for pet owners, shelters, clinics and veterinarians. It is free to register, free to update and accessible online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Found Animals microchips are the AVMA recommended ISO standard 134.2 kHz frequency and can be read by all universal scanners.

"We have supplied shelters and clinics around Los Angeles with microchips and scanners for several years, and we are ready to introduce our Microchip Program to the state of California," said Aimee Gilbreath, Executive Director of Found Animals. "The first areas we are targeting are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento. We know that as Californians begin using this system, more lost pets will find their way home."

To register your pet now, please visit www.microchipregistry.foundanimals.org.

For more information, email [email protected]

About Found Animals
Found Animals Foundation is a privately-funded nonprofit organization dedicated to animal welfare issues. Led by business and medical professionals, the Foundation works directly within the animal welfare community to reduce the use of euthanasia in shelters by supporting programs including: pet adoption, spay/neuter services, pet identification, and sterilization research.

Media Contact: John Arango, Fishman Public Relations, 847-945-1300 or [email protected]

SOURCE Found Animals Foundation