Did you know that 75 percent of lost pets never make it home? Many of those pets are brought to our shelter, and sadly, without a license or microchip, we’re unable to reunite them with their families.
Licenses help pets get back home where they belong! That’s why Kitsap Humane Society is offering a special incentive to pet owners to buy or renew their licenses in the month of June. If you do, you’ll be entered in a drawing for one of three awesome prizes: A $60 gift card to Bremerton Bar and Grill, or one of two baskets for your dog or cat filled with pet food, treats, toys and Kitsap Humane Society swag!
Licensing is fast, easy and inexpensive. Best of all, it works. Just ask Ronald McClaughry of Bremerton. He’s a lifelong dog person and adopted his pup Duchess from Kitsap Humane Society. They clearly adore each other and make good companions.
Every evening they take a walk up the hill behind his house. But one stormy night in February, Duchess didn’t return, which had never happened before. McClaughry called and called, and she was nowhere to be found.
“I went back out four or five times,” he said. “I couldn’t go to bed, and I couldn’t sleep.”
Duchess likely got spooked and ran when a transformer blew during the storm, not far from his house.
At 11 p.m., the phone rang. McClaughry doesn’t answer the phone at night, but this time he did. It was Kitsap Humane Society staffer Kelleen Thaxton, who saw a Facebook post about a lost dog taken in from the storm. Kelleen messaged the finder, learned the dog had a license, ran the license number to find who owned the dog, called Ronald and connected the two to get Duchess home.
“Oh, I was so grateful,” McClaughry said. “I’m grateful for that license and that she is home.”
Kelleen says she quite frequently reunites lost pets with their loved ones this way.
“When someone finds a lost pet, they can’t always get to KHS or a veterinarian’s office right away for a microchip scan — and many pets are not microchipped. If that dog or cat is wearing a pet license right on their collar, the license number can be used to connect the finder with the pet’s family. This often means a quick and happy reunion!”
Pet licenses are required by law throughout Kitsap County. The nonprofit Kitsap Humane Society is the licensing agent for the region, a portion of the proceeds go to KHS for assisting lost and injured pets in the community.
Don’t delay – be a hero and license your pet today. If you love them, license them!