By Kevin M. Smith
Killeen Daily Herald

Pets and their owners are not always easily reunited, despite modern technology.

Two members of the Killeen Animal Advisory Committee said they had received complaints by local pet owners who had to drive to Austin to get their animal after it had gone through the Killeen Animal Shelter.

Dr. Laura Szeremi, of Banfield Pet Hospital in Killeen, said at Wednesday's meeting that four of her clients recently complained that they didn't get a call about their lost pet until the animal ended up in Austin.

Szeremi, who sits on the Animal Advisory Committee, said those clients' pets were lost, picked up by Killeen Animal Control and later adopted by area animal rescue groups. When those rescue groups tried to relocate the animals to a Humane Society shelter in Austin, a scan there revealed the microchip with the owner's information.

Debbie Darnell, Animal Control supervisor, said all animals picked up by Animal Control are scanned by the department's three microchip scanners. She said those animals must not have had microchips recognizable by the scanners the department has because there are many different frequencies on which the microchips operate. Not all scanners read all chips.

Szeremi said she donated two $400 chip scanners to Killeen Animal Control that read the chips she put in these clients' pets. Szeremi said she always puts in two types of microchips in every animal and donated the scanners to the city of Killeen to read nearly all types of microchips.

"Some of it may be technique," Szeremi said.

The scanner must be very close to the microchip and held over it for several seconds if the chip operates on a low frequency. The scanner will quickly pick up a microchip from several inches away if the chip operates on a high frequency.

Liz Rainey, committee member, said she also has received several complaints from local pet owners whose animals went through the Killeen Animal Shelter and were not identified with their microchip until the pet arrived at another shelter in Austin.

In other business, the committee:

Decided to draft an ordinance to have the Killeen Animal Shelter spay or neuter some of its animals and add the cost to the adoptions.

Decided to draft revisions to the quarantine ordinance to keep animals that don't need to be quarantined from being locked away.

Discussed its recent trip to the Bark Park in Georgetown and agreed it would continue to work with the Killeen Parks and Recreation Department to research the need and feasibility to put one in Killeen.

Discussed an upcoming vaccination clinic. No dates were set, but committee member George Fox said he expects the low-cost clinic to be in late May or early June. He said Dr. Michael Joyner, of East Lake Veterinary Clinic in Killeen, has agreed to run the clinic.

Contact Kevin M. Smith at ksmith@kdhnews.com or call (254) 501-7550

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