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8-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, July 13, 2004 487 Lwri*tyJý agp vMicrochip credited with return of lost dog I STEHANIE IMIESSEN The Champion H ewas a Ionely schnau- zer namned Willy, on his own for the first time. What had seemed like such a good idea at one point- digging under the backyard gate to freedom- didn't seem so great at tbe moment, as he wandered down the sidewalk, lost. Meanwhile, Willy's owner was just as lost without ber furry friend, who bad been a part of her life for tbe pasî six years. 1was sbocked and really upset," Marilynt Silk said about Willy's July 4 dis- appearance from her daughter's Graham Bell Court home, where Willy was visiting. Fortunately, this tail - ahem. tale - has a happy ending. Willy was spotted in Frieda Schmiî,'s Cabot Trail backyard, bappily mingling with ber own dog. Ms Schmiîz could tell Willy visited a groomer with his well- maintained coat, srt she dccided to bring him to Donna Ralph, wbo runs Always Sitting Pretty, an animal grooming busi- ness. Maybe, she tbougbt, Ms Ralpb was Willy's groomer. Althougb Ms Ralph bad neyer before seen Willy, shte decided to take hlm in, cer- tain she could find bis owner. He had ns) dog tags or visible identification, so Ms Ralpb said ber firsi step was to walk witb Willy, boping be'd lead tbe way to bis home. Wben he didn't and Ms Ralph didn'î sec anyone lookîng for Willy, she kepi hîmi ovemigbt and decided to bring him the next moming to ber vet, Dr. Ross Dawson at the Animal Hospital of Milton. "Most dogs are now micro-chipped. 1 was hoping he ssas," Ms Ralpb said. Sure enougb, Dr. Dawson's scan ut Willy sbowed be ssas micro-chipped. Dr. Dawson tound Ms Silk's phone number, and she and Willy were re-umited. Ms Silk said ber busband, ssbo's a vet- erinarian, had mîcro-cbîpped both of1their dogs years before. "It paid off." she stressed. Several things are different now at Willy's bousebold, wbere be's once again head of tbe bouse. For one, bis rabies tag, removed for a time just before his escape, bas been put back on. And be'll soon have bis dog licence, mandatory by the Town of Milton, renewed. Ms Silk said she neyer again wants to ose a pet, and is on a campaign to make sure other peoples lost pet stories end as bappily as hers. In ber case, micro-chip- ping proved invaluable. The process involves implanting a tiny computer chip under the skin over the shoulder of a dog or cat. That chip, whîcb s smaller than a grain of' rice, contains a numbcr that's revealed by a scanner. "b1ts just a mialter of' pboning iti) a data base to liod <out wbose dog tl s," Dr. Dawsotn said, adding it's important for owners with micro-cbipped pets to make sure the information is kept up to date. Dr. Dawson explained tbat tattooing a number on an animal is another way f'or tl to be identitied, although be said tattoos sometimes become difficult to read oser time. Any vet cao micro-chîp a dog (r cat. be said. usually tor a cost ut'about $601. Anuther useful tool as ailable to pet own- ers is a Web site, wwsw.getmehoiiie.com. It's a service provided to many pet oussners when tbey take their pets to receive their rabies vaccinations. Owners register the inforrnation on their rabies tag on the Web site. Then, if- the ani- mal is found, the Web site can be consuli- ed and once the number is entered. the ani- mal's important information will appear. T1here are four basic types uf' îags: a licence tag, the extemal tag normally given witb micro-chipping, personal tags and set tags, sucb as the rabies tag. AIl of these are important. although sim- ply having a vet tag isot enougb because il' the pet is lound on a weekend or evenîng. the clînic might be closed and unable to respund. The humane society is able tî belp 24 hours a day. Properly îdenîifyîng your dog or catiso't just su tl can be. retumed shotîld tl get losi. Il's also important so tbat il 's tý ound înJured. the owner cao bc quickly contact- ed and consulîed about treatment. "What il Willy had been injured?"1 Dr. Dawson asked. "There are lots ut ways (of identifyiog your pet). the most important tbing is to do sometbing." The local bumane society is une of' the best resources for people who bave lost or found a pet. Dr. Dawson said. When Willy went missing, Ms Silk called tbe Oakville Humane Society which took on the animal control contract for Milton in 1987. Although in ber case tl didn't. lead lu finding Willy, Heather White, community services co-ordinator of the Oakville Humane Society, said tl was a good place to start. "Report tl as soun as you know the animal isot there," she said. A lost report will bc filed. and if some- une finds tbe losi animal and calîs the bumane suciety, the owner and finder will be connected. Ms White said although micro-cbippiog s incredibly effective, il's not enougb on its own. "Keepasm h ID on an animal as possible," Ms White said. She explained an animal witb visible identification appears loved and cared f'or, su someone inding il is less likely tu îsueit's stray and keep tl. She added sometimes a micro-chip can muve around and mîgbt take a few tries for the scanner tu locate il. In such cases, it migbt be quieker tu get the information off a collar, licence tag or vet tag. The bumane society offers reduced price mîcro-cbîp chies twice yearly. wîth tbe next une in the faîl. For mure information, exIl (90)5) 845-1551 or visit www.oakville- bumaneca. Stcp/iunic e Iicsen can 6e rac/ed at Mtiessei(a.nijllîos unadiailiatlion ton. WYCOGECQ Cogeco Cable Wruly Local lelevision Channel 14 wjww.cogeco.ca 91- ooPlgg00W .0Il a lug 910 il11919990 1 &12 30p01. LMeW00k E9o & 12 30p, FEoîy W0k Edmton &12Y NORTH (lAITON STUDIO 5 m 1691p. goo 11'h 00.11 0o1100911ls0096 OO &P7 0911 Edy Week EdiPo 9CouncoiJWy 12 Laurier Plaza 8 00991 0911oo011190w,îO& &P7 0pm 1 [9159900969,11011 & 7o3 500 Laurier Avenue JUy 2014R911C110 Milton, ON L9T 4R3 905-878-9306 PIuaaqd ln! - i Programmîng Schedule - Tuesday, JuIy 13 - Monday, JuIy 19, 2004 911590011 din' 910 - P9110 ln' 91011,.11 Puq n q1 1 10p011 lOlllW00k EîOo, &12 099 E,119Wfflk Ed, o )p, 1101111 Region Co9îîoi 0911 9911 911.9900In' 91 p 919.900h, 09 1. EaIy Week Edition --t .u-si- 6u%;,«# -ew, s-,-.-.nci vwea& cve1rUf. &veryday On ivCogeco. J & 1>09 i 1999..ugg 11.0 9 10 Opam Lugeoti, 911. 110 01 011 .119900.9In' & 730pir 9vW,k EdlOO 7 30pnriLal. W-k & 7 , 30911 01L191001,9,1, Il holda the dog Willy she found, as owner Marilyn SiIk looke on. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Local news- snarft andi avant