Spring is here and the volunteers with Catnip & Carrots Animal Bunch have seen an increased number of strays running loose in Monroe. Sadly, these animals are NOT wearing tags or collars! Whether on main thoroughfares like Route 63 or lost in your neighborhood, these innocent animals are scared, stopping traffic and oblivious to the dangers they are causing residents and drivers. And should you try and catch a stray pet and be bitten or scratched? That good deed could lead to painful and lengthy rabies treatments.

In Monroe, all animal related calls are routed to the Butler County Sheriffs Office who then contacts the County Dog Warden. Animal Control only works M-F from 8:30 -4:30. Dogs running at large after hours or on the weekend are on their own and at an increased risk of being struck by a car or attacked by a coyote. Monroe Police will only respond to an imminent danger situation, such as a vicious dog complaint. If an animal does get taken into the shelter, dogs are only held a mandatory 72 hours before being put up for adoption or euthanized. Cats have no holding period. The chances of getting your pet back are slim to none due to limited shelter hours.

What can you do to help prevent your pet from becoming a tragic loss to your family? We understand accidents happen and by nature pets can (and will) slip out the door. But Microchipping and ID tags used together offer the best protection available to get your lost pet back quickly and safely. Dog licenses are mandatory for any pet over 3 months of age and rabies tags are a must to protect your pet and that Good Samaritan willing to help. Tattooing is also becoming quite popular.

Every veterinarian's office has a display of pet tags for sale. You can order cute smiley faces, dog bones, hearts and fishes to proclaim your pets name, address and phone number. Many pet stores also have a machine on the premises that will make you a tag instantly. They only cost a few dollars and the protection they offer is priceless.

Microchipping is quick and painless and offered at all veterinarian's offices and the county shelter. Prices range from $25 to $60, depending on location. A tiny chip the size of a grain of rice is inserted via a special needle just under the skin near the collarbone of your pet. The chip contains a unique identification number linked to your contact information and is read via radio frequency. New Universal scanners can decode any brand of microchip. All vets, animal control officers and even some police departments have these special scanners. All Microchips MUST BE REGISTERED with your current contact info or they are useless! I can’t stress this enough.

We at Catnip & Carrots promote “Tag Day - Every Day." Our program offers a collar (cats only), plastic identification tag and wallet emergency card available free of charge from us at any time and we include them with every pet adoption.

If you find a stray animal, please take it to any veterinarian or shelter to have it scanned for a microchip or call us. We have a universal scanner capable of reading all brands of chips and are happy to offer this service free of charge. Be sure and contact your local shelter and animal control that you have the animal and if you are willing to foster that pet until the owner is found, you must place an ad in your local paper. Found ads are printed at no cost to you and run a minimum of 7 days. Place flyers around town and be sure and contact local rescue groups like C&C, who network with each other to get pets back home as quickly as possible. You can also get contact info from any dog license at the Butler County Auditors website.

We are in business to help you any way we can and do so for the love of all animals. Pets are family and we can't imagine life without the joy they bring into our lives. Please keep them safe and make sure they are wearing a collar and tags at ALL times. And don't forget to spay & neuter your pet!

www.catnipandcarrots.org