The Lost Pet Map
With 13,000 pets missing, the South East now has the the most missing pets in the UK. Emily Davis reports
There are currently more than 13,000 pets missing in the South East region, meaning we have more missing pets than anywhere else in the UK.
The South East was followed by London, which has more than 7,000 cats and 1,500 dogs currently missing. The North East has the least missing pets.
Petlog, the UK’s largest lost and found database, found that 10,969 cats and 2,305 dogs were reported lost or stolen in the South East between 2003-2014, and yet to be reunited with their owner.
Within the South East, Guildford has the most pets currently missing and yet to be reunited with their owners.
However, it's not all doom and gloom. During the same time period, a total of more than 7,000 dogs and more than 10,000 cats were lost and reunited with their owner, meaning that almost 70 per cent of dogs and 50 per cent of cats were reunited thanks to their microchip.
Petlog has launched its Lost Pet Map as part of National Microchipping Month which takes place throughout June. The microchipping database revealed the main reason why pets aren’t successfully returned home is because their owners fail to keep their contact details up to date with their microchip database.
For over ten years Petlog, which is managed by the Kennel Club, has been running National Microchipping Month to raise the profile of pet microchipping and its benefits, and also to educate pet owners about how it works, the need to keep contact details up to date and how to get the most out of a lost and found database.
Celia Walsom, Petlog Executive said: “The statistics are shocking that so many pets are missing in the South East. A microchip is a wonderful thing and helps to reunite tens of thousands of pets with their owners but it is not a magic wand and will not work if pet owners do not keep their contact details up to date with their microchipping database.
"A lot of families move house and change phone numbers making it impossible to reunite their pets in a lot of cases. National Microchipping Month aims to educate pet owners around the country and encourage them to engage with their vets and microchip databases to learn more about microchipping and how it directly affects them and their pet."
What are you waiting for? Let's get chipping!
To find out more about National Microchipping Month visit nationalmicrochippingmonth.org.uk
