Lost and Found.

Every week, someone contacts me to check if anyone has handed in a stray dog/cat/rabbit/bird or to tell me they have found a stray animal. Because I don't have a surgery, I can't take in lost pets, so refer them to one of the local rescues but I do write down their details and keep them to hand, just in case.

Last week, 'just in case' happened. A lady rang to say they had found a young black cat in a certain area, then just an hour later someone else rang to say they had found one. So I gave the loser the finders number and a family got their much-loved pet back. They had just moved house and the cat escaped and was last seen high tailing it over the garden fence. She wandered into a house that backed onto her own garden and made herself at home. They were very lucky as the cat wasn't wearing a collar and wasn't micro-chipped.

Every year, thousands of pets aren't as fortunate and end up in rescue centres looking for new homes, or even end up being put to sleep, because there is no way of reuniting them with their owners.

By law, dogs must wear an identification tag on their collar if they are in public. People put a combination of their pet's names, their address, and phone number. My dogs simply wear a phone number on the basis I'd rather no one knew their name if they were stolen. Tags are available on line from the Kennel Club site or from most pet shops.

Cats can wear a tag as well, if they will tolerate a collar but the best method of identification for all pets ( including dogs) is a microchip.

June is National Microchipping Month and many Vet Clinics are offering discounted microchipping to encourage people to make sure their pets are permanently identified. Check here to see if there is an event near you.

The Visiting Vet is offering Microchipping for just £10 with any vaccination for the month of June.

Please phone, email or text me if you'd like to take up this offer.