Little Rock Animal Village announced on Friday a program for microchipping dogs and cats that are adopted by residents or rescued by other groups.

“In 2018 more than 4,100 animals entered the Little Rock Animal Village,” said Tracy Roark, Animal Village Manager. “Of those only 395 animals had their owners come and reclaim them. We know more of these animals are owned and we want to be able to reunite more pets with their families.”

The microchipping is made possible through the financial assistance of Friends of the Animal Village, a nonprofit group that provides support for the shelter. The additional cost of the program will be between $8,000 and $10,000 and will be covered by donations. Currently, the Animal Village microchipping program costs about $5,000 annually and is also covered by donations, Roark said.

He notes that all cats and pit bull breeds are currently microchipped as part of the adoption process as required by Little Rock Ordinance. The new program will add approximately 1,600 animals annually.  

“We are going to do our part to make sure that all animals adopted or rescued from the Little Rock Animal Village will receive a microchip so any of these animals can easily be returned to their owners,” he said.