Procedure due to be enforced in April
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home ended a 66-day separation for Michelle McFetridge and her Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Marley.
Cameras captured the moment Michelle was reunited with her rescue dog, more than two months after she lost grip of one-year-old Marley’s lead. He ran across the road, narrowly missing a car and disappeared.
Despite putting up posters, contacting local dog wardens and filing a lost report, Battersea were able to identify Marley with his microchip.
Michelle said: “I was so shocked when I got the call from Battersea, because I honestly thought I was never going to see Marley again.
“It’s so important to get your dog microchipped and it really is the best chance you have of being reunited with your dog.”
One of 3000 dogs to arrive at Battersea last year, and with only 41 per cent of dogs having a microchip at the centre, many dogs were not reunited with their owners.
A compulsory microchipping law will be enforced on 6 April 2016, and Battersea are helping owners avoid fines by offering free microchipping.
Steve Craddock, Battersea’s intake manager, said “Michelle was like any other devoted owner who had never stopped looking for their dog. We are delighted to have reunited them and were also very moved in witnessing this very heart-warming reunion.”
Image (C) Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
