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Barkfest gets tails wagging

“One of the first things we do when we get a stray brought in is scan it for a microchip, and if we find one then we can contact the owner quickly and easily and reunite them with their pet.”

The North Bay and District Humane Society has hosted five microchipping clinics in the past, but Saturday was the first time it was classified as Barkfest. 

There was no shortage of activities for pet parents to take part in while they waited to microchip their furry companions as the event sponsored by Coldwell Banker Peter Minogue Real Estate Brokerage included a pet photo area and a barbecue.

Microchipping animals is a surgical procedure that injects a chip about the size of a grain of rice into animals and allows pet owners a fast easy way to get reconnected with their furry friends in the event that Rover takes an extended, unplanned stroll and gets lost along the way.  

“One of the first things we do when we get a stray brought in is scan it for a microchip, and if we find one then we can contact the owner quickly and easily and reunite them with their pet.” Executive Director Liam Cullin Told BayToday, stating that just a few weeks ago a dog was found close to North Bay and thanks to the tiny tracker, the dog’s owner from the Sundridge/South River area was found and contacted. Cullin stated that a North Bay canine has even been returned home from as far away as Toronto during an unplanned absence.

Owners like Brittnay Meunier-Gauthier see the merit in microchipping as a way for keeping track of her dogs Smiley and Hope “I bring them for off leash hikes all the time and in case they get out and get lost it’s good to have them microchipped.” 

Animals without a microchip that are turned in to the Humane Society are held for a minimum of four days under provincial law and during that time staff will comb social media and other outlets searching for the pet owner’s posted lost ad.

The Homes for Dogs Project was also showcased at the event. The project is put on by Coldwell Banker and was started three years ago as a way to give back to the North Bay community by helping the Humane Society raise awareness of their pets that are looking for a new forever home.

An estimated 250 people were expected to have their pets microchipped at the event.