ClarksvilleNow.com Reporting
news@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – ClarksvilleNow.com recently received an e-mail regarding a young girl whose dog got away, and she was attempting to have it returned from a family who adopted the pet from Montgomery County Animal Control.
Mary Forsythe, lead volunteer at Animal Control, sent a response to this story, saying it lacked certain facts, such as the dog’s absence of identification, and the girl’s failure to contact the organization.
When the dog was discovered, she had no tags, was not micro-chipped, and Animal Control had no way to identify her.
Additionally, she said it was unfair for the girl to make this request, because she didn’t go to Animal Control where the dog was kept for eight days, and the adoptive family had likely already become attached to the dog. She said the girl should have taken the proper steps to find her dog before this happened.
Director of Animal Control Tim Clifton said the facility is required by law to keep an animal for three business days before it is available for adoption. The dog in question was picked up by Animal Control Dec. 27 and adopted Jan. 3.
Clifton explained how this situation could have been avoided. “She should have called Animal Control to find out if her animal was there,” he said. “We’ll do everything we can to get a dog back to their owners. If I lost a dog, the first place I’m going to call is the place that picks dogs up.”
Clifton said micro-chipping is an inexpensive process that can be done at any local veterinarian’s office. He believes this is the safest way to ensure a pet can be found. If pet owners choose not to micro-chip, identification tags are the next best option.
Find information about micro-chipping here.
(READ THE ORIGINAL STORY HERE)
Pet owners can call Animal Control’s main line at 931-648-5750. If no one is available, a recording prompts the caller to either leave a message or call the emergency dispatcher.