For the Reporter
Time is running out for cat and dog owners who want to be on the cutting edge of pet licensing and identification technology.
For a limited time, Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) offers a new type of pet license tag in partnership with PetHub. The license is printed with a QR (Quick Response) code that can be scanned with a smartphone or other mobile device to retrieve the animal’s online profile. This can help stray pets and their owners get reunited much sooner.
“A license is an inexpensive way to provide peace of mind if your pet ever gets lost, and a digital pet license provides an additional level of protection,” said Dr. Gene Mueller, RASKC manager. “Ninety-six percent of animals returned through PetHub are home in less than a day, before they even enter a shelter.”
Tom Arnold, Founder of PetHub.com, said, “Our goal is to get a lost dog or cat home before it can become injured through fights with other animals, taken in by strangers thinking the pet is homeless, or enter a shelter.”
Digital pet licenses are the same price as the standard RASKC license: $30 a year for spayed or neutered cats and dogs, or $60 a year for unaltered pets. Digital licenses are only available for purchase online at www.PetHub.com/RASKC or by calling 206-296-2712.
A total of 500 PetHub digital license tags has been set aside for the trial program, and the offer will end when supplies run out. Only cats and dogs living in the RASKC service area are eligible for this special offer. At the end of this trial program, RASKC and PetHub will evaluate the response from pet owners to see if digital license tags will become a permanent offering in King County.
PetHub’s system links the physical ID tag to an animal’s online profile that can be safely accessed by anyone with a mobile device, whether a smartphone or standard cellular phone. That profile can be updated free of charge at PetHub.com to allow the owner to list emergency contact information, including that of anyone who helps care for the animal, such as spouses, pet sitters, veterinarians, and other family and friends.
Optional upgrades include “found pet” alerts, GPS notifications, and a way to broadcast a missing pet’s profile to local shelters and businesses.
For more information on digital pet licenses and eligible areas in King County, please visit www.PetHub.com/RASKC. For more information about Regional Animal Services, log on to www.kingcounty.gov/pets.
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