Dallas's animal shelter is teaming up with the Best Friends Animal Society to launch a pilot program that will help reunite lost pets with their owners.
The City of Dallas put out a press release with details about the partnership between Dallas Animal Services and Best Friends Animal Society on Wednesday.
According to the press release, the six-month pilot program will help lost pets return home before entering the shelter system.
The program will target areas where stray pets are most commonly found and distribute 2,000 free PetHub ID tags in those areas.
The tags feature a unique QR code that allows neighbors, field officers, and animal services staff to quickly connect found pets with their owners. That will help reunite families faster and avoid unnecessary shelter admissions.
Lost pets make up a significant portion of shelter intake nationwide. Many healthy pets with homes enter shelters because they lack visible identification or because community members don't have the necessary tools to connect them with their families.
The release states that programs like this can support neighborhood-based reunification efforts that reduce shelter intake while minimizing stress on both pets and owners.
"This partnership gives pet owners practical tools to help ensure their pets can be identified and returned home quickly if they become lost," said Dallas Animal Services Director Paul Ramon. "By equipping residents with resources and empowering communities to assist with reunification efforts, we can help keep more pets with their families and reduce the number of animals entering the shelter."
The Best Friends Animal Society is a Utah-based nonprofit that promotes the welfare of shelter animals across the country.
Learn more about the shelter's available pet resources on its website.
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