ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Lost pets of Anne Arundel County have another option for getting home, thanks to an agreement between Anne Arundel County Animal Services (AACAS) and the County Fire Department.
As of last week, all 31 fire stations around Anne Arundel County are equipped with a universal microchip scanner. This means that anyone who finds a lost or stray animal can take the pet to their nearest fire station 24/7 to be checked for a microchip.
The chip readers at the fire stations were paid for by the nonprofit Friends of Anne Arundel County Animals.
The fire stations will not be able to hold onto lost animals. Instead, they can give the microchip information to the person who found the animal. Microchips contain a chip number and a chip firm — this allows the finder to contact the website where the animal’s chip is registered, which then contacts the owners.
The aim of the fire station microchip program is to help animals get back to their owners as soon as possible, without having to enter the shelter. Staying out of the shelter will help the county keep spaces open to help animals who are still looking for their families and avoids unnecessary stress for the pet.
Anyone who finds a pet in Anne Arundel County is allowed to hold the pet for a maximum of three days before it must be turned over to AACAS. To bring the animal in immediately, the finder can call 410-222-3939. If the shelter is closed, the finder can bring the pet to the shelter at 411 Maxwell Frye Road, Millersville, and call the police nonemergency number, 410-222-8610, to have an officer bring the animal into the shelter.
Adoption fees at AACAS are waived for August.
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