CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Macomb County officials unveiled the first public microchip scanning stations in metro Detroit, designed to help reunite lost pets with their owners more quickly while reducing the burden on animal shelters.
Watch Brett Kast's video report below:
The county launched its first public station at the Clinton Township Police Department, with plans to expand to three additional locations in the coming weeks.
The scanners allow good Samaritans who find lost pets to check for microchips themselves. If a pet has been microchipped, the scanner provides a code that can be entered into a database through a QR code on the wall, connecting finders directly with pet owners while maintaining privacy.
"They can do it themselves and make that connection to reunite someone with their lost pet," Mark Hackel said.
Jillian Cane, operations manager at Macomb County Animal Control, developed the idea to address the high volume of stray animals processed through the shelter system.
"The goal is just to get them reunited as soon as possible. We have a lot of great Samaritans in the county that want to help with this reunion, so this enables them to do so," Cane said.
The Macomb County Animal Shelter impounded over 2,000 stray animals last year alone. Cane hopes the new system will not only reduce shelter intake but also raise community awareness about the importance of microchipping pets.
"Licenses and collars are easy to be removed, so these microchips are embedded, they're lifetime and it's the easiest way to get reunited with their owners," Cane said.
According to Cane, most lost animals are found within 1 to 3 miles of their home. Through a grant, the county is funding three additional chip readers that will be installed at police stations in Armada, Roseville and Shelby Township in the coming weeks.
—————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
