Microchip Mishap with Valley Dog

[Beryl]

Many pet owners implant micro-chips in their pets in case the animal gets lost, but one Valley family says the new technology failed them.

Their dog turned up at Huntsville Animal Control, but now another family may adopt him.

Lisa Compton says, "I don't know what. Something just told me go I was going to check the DOA list." Compton's intuition led her to Huntsville Animal Services Monday, weeks after her redbone/bloodhound mix Beauregard ran away. When she came to the second cage, she struck gold. "I'm thinking yay! I've found my baby. I was so happy and then I noticed the sign on the cage that says I've been adopted excited," says Compton.

Excited, yet puzzled.

"I told the guy that was in the back with me, 'Hey that's my dog,' and he's like, 'well he was scanned. There is no micro chip on this dog.' I said, 'Yes there is. I'll bet you a million dollars."'

When Beau was a puppy, Compton had a microchip put on him.

Many owners use that ID in case their pet gets lost or stolen.

When he first went missing, Compton went to Animal Services. Compton says she didn't fill out a loss report because they told her to keep coming back. "She said every dog that comes in we, always scan 'em to make sure if there is a microchip, you'll get a phone call. I said ok so I wasn't worried about concentrating my efforts at going to the pound every couple days to check there cause I figured they'd scan him, his check would come up, and they'd call me," explains Compton.

The problem was stated on Beau's card. It reads: "Scanned. Low battery."

But Saturday, Beau's adoption to another family was finalized and unless they agree to turn him over, Compton and her family are out of a pet. Compton's five-year-old daughter Amanda says, "Beau's my favorite dog and I love him now since he's gone I really miss him."

Dr. Karen Hill Sheppard is the director for Huntsville Animal Services.
She calls this an extremely difficult situation. She says the department apologizes for the grief and anxiety Beau's previous owner is feeling. Sheppard adds they are trying and will continue to try to resolve the situation.

http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=5197632&nav=0hBE

[rmci]

That's why our local animal shelter has all adoptees complete a form stating that if the original owners makes a claim within three months they get the dog back.