Keep Pets In Mind: February 29-March 6 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Illinois

AKC Companion Animal Recovery, the nation's largest direct-to-owner database, urges pet owners to prepare their pets before disaster strikes

(PRWEB) February 29, 2004 --More than 55% of American households share their lives with either a dog or cat
--Each year eight to ten million dogs and cats are lost
--More than 2,700 pet recoveries have occurred in Illinois and over 180,000 pet recoveries have occurred nationally through the AKC-CAR program and its National Pet Recovery number
--AKC-CAR is the largest direct-to-owner database of microchipped pets in the United States
--Over 2.1 million pets have been enrolled in the AKC-CAR national database

(Raleigh, NC) -- Illinois Governor Rod Bagojevich has proclaimed February 29 -- March 6 Severe Weather Awareness in Illinois. The American Kennel Clubs Companion Animal Recovery program urges pet owners in Illinois to take the necessary precautions now to make sure their pets are safe and can be identified if lost during severe weather.
Now is the time to prepare for your pets safety. With emergency evacuations during storms, flooding, fires or earthquakes and last-minute chaos, beloved pets can sometimes be separated from their families causing emotional stress and heartache for thousands of pet owners.
To help keep this from happening and to increase the chance pets can be reunited with their owners, the American Kennel Clubs Companion Animal Recovery (AKC-CAR) program is providing pet owners with a unique way to I.D. their pets. CAR encourages pet owners to permanently I.D. their pets with a microchip, enroll their pets in its database and tag their pets with a bright yellow easy-to-spot tag.

We want to make sure every pet that is separated from its owner during severe weather can be reunited with that family," said Dr. Carmen Battaglia, President and CEO of AKC- CAR. It is so easy to have ones pet microchipped and enrolled in the database, it would be heartbreaking to let that be the one thing to keep a pet and its owner apart."

When an enrolled pet is found, veterinarians and shelters can detect the microchip and call the National Pet Recovery number 1-800-252-7894.

To safely protect your pet, and ensure your pet can be reunited with you, there are three simple steps:

STEP 1 -- CHIP YOUR PET - First you need to contact a local veterinarian to permanently identify your pet with an ID microchip. This tiny rice-sized device is encoded with a unique and unalterable identification number. The chip" is implanted just under the skin in the scruff of the neck of most pets and can be detected and read by a scanner used by veterinarians, animal shelters or other agencies. The process is painless and takes only a couple of minutes. To locate a participating veterinarian in your area you can visit the CAR website at www.akccar.org or call the National Pet Recovery number 1-800-252-7894.

STEP 2 - ENROLL YOUR PET -- Once the microchip is implanted, pet owners should immediately enroll their pets in the CAR database using the form provided by the veterinarian. This will ensure that you can be notified when your pet is found. It is recommended that you provide at least one alternate contact that lives outside of your residence. Be sure to provide current telephone numbers for all contacts. AKC- CARs trained staff provides recovery services 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year.

STEP 3 --USE THE YELLOW TAG-- Each pet owner will receive a special yellow tag at the time of implant, to be attached to the pets collar for easy reference. This tag will quickly alert your local animal shelter or veterinarian to the fact that your pet has a microchip and is enrolled in theAKC- CAR database. Both the yellow tag and the microchip will point your pets locator to CAR so it is important to always keep your contact information current. To verify or update the information that is kept in the AKC-CAR database, call the National Pet Recovery number 1-800-252-7894. If your pet is found, veterinarians and animal shelters will first look for the yellow tag, and if missing, will scan your pet to read the chip. The locator will then contact AKC- CAR who will instantly contact you.

Over 2.1 million pet owners are now participating in the CAR program, which is the largest direct-to-owner database of microchipped pets in the United States.

Our goal is to reunite pets and their owners and eliminate the 'lost pet signs you see in parks, newspapers and communities," continued Dr. Battaglia. Instead of those signs, we want people to look for the yellow tag, showing that pets have been chipped and enrolled."

Pet Disaster Kits

YOUR PET DISASTER KIT SHOULD INCLUDE:

·Pet food and treats
·Drinkable water in plastic bottles
·Can opener for canned food
·Pet medications and medical records in a waterproof container
·Sturdy leashes, harnesses and/or carriers so you can remove and transport your pet safely
·The name and contact information of your veterinarian

Remember pets may not be allowed in public emergency shelters; therefore you should plan to take your pet with you if you have to evacuate your home.

About the AKC Companion Animal Recovery Program

The American Kennel Club formed the non-profit CAR program in 1995 as a public service to help pet owners reunite with their lost animals by using a permanent identification process. Partnering with Schering-Plough Animal Health (SPAH), CAR works with veterinarians, animal shelters and other organizations to enroll as many pets as possible in its database. CAR is an affiliate of the American Kennel Club and is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. For more information you can visit the AKC-CAR website at www.akccar.org or call 1-800-252-7894 or email found@akc.org.
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Editors Note: Dr. Carmen Battaglia, President and CEO of the AKC Companion Animal Recovery program, is available for interviews via satellite or by phone. To schedule an interview or request a media kit with b-roll on Beta tape, please contact Graham Wilson at PRStreet at 1-888-736-3787 or by email at gwilson@prstreet.com