Marlborough company and vet work to reunite pets killed on roads with owners

Sunday, 16 June 2019

Springlands Veterinary Clinic nurse Tash Luxton says they see first hand the hazards that are out there for domestic pets.

A vet's efforts to help return cats killed on Marlborough roads to their families has seen it provide a microchip reader to roading contractors.

HEB Construction, which has a road maintenance contract with Marlborough Roads, picks up dead cats as an 'act of kindness' to owners .

Springlands Veterinary Clinic, which was keen to see families reunited with 'lost loved ones', reached out to HEB to ensure it had a microchip reader.

* Hamish the lonely alpaca hungers for new home

* Dog stung by stingray saved by vet on holiday

Springlands Vet centre receptionist Andrea Watchman with a microchip scanner and lost cat Giselle.

* Rise in suspected dog poisonings in Marlborough shocks worried residents**

Springlands Veterinary Clinic nurse Tash Luxton said they gifted the microchip reader to HEB last week hoping it would fill a gap in services and help connect owners with their dead pets.

A local HEB staff member initially said they did not have a microchip reader and would be 'happy to use it' if one was supplied.

But later in the week, a spokeswoman at HEB's head office in Auckland clarified that HEB in Marlborough had not been without a chip reader.

'This week's kind donation of another reader means the team in Marlborough now has two,' she said.

The spokeswoman said its workers had continued to carry out chip reading and where possible, returned pets to owners as a 'good will gesture'.

'The practise is not contractually required rather, each incident has been an act of kindness,' the spokeswoman said.

Some weeks contractors retrieved two dead cats, but the recoveries could be months apart, she said.

Luxton said they wanted to make sure the community had the greatest chance of their cat returning home and reminded owners to get their cats microchipped.

Contractors pick up a cat from the road.

'We see firsthand how many animals go missing and the hazards that are out there for domestic pets.'

They received calls almost daily, asking for information about lost cats, Luxton said.

'At the sadder end of the situation, they [HEB] are the ones picking up the deceased animals, and we just wanted to check that they also had access to a reader which would increase the chances of reunion.'

Luxton said they had also offered to assist HEB contacting owners of dead cats that were microchipped.

Marlborough Roads manager Steve Murrin said when they were notified of a dead animal, it was taken to the side of the road where it was left for a couple of hours.

'Nine out of 10 animals are claimed during that time,' Murrin said

'Our contractors have a chip scanner which they are able to see if the animal has been chipped.'

This scan was checked with local vets to find owners of the animal, he said.

Murrin said HEB had a scanner since 2015 and they appreciated the 'kind gesture' which meant they had a second.

'This allows both patrol vehicles to be equipped with a scanner.'

If they were unable to locate an owner the cat was held in a freezer for a month before being disposed of, Murrin said.

'Marlborough Roads and their contractors are well aware that the death of a pet can be a very traumatic time for pet owners, we do what we can to reunite deceased animals with their owners,' he said.

Animal Control was notified of deceased dogs on roads. Dogs were checked for a microchip to ascertain an owner.

If there is a microchip the owner would be notified. If there wasn't a microchip, the dog was held for a period of two weeks. If no owner was located in that two week period, the dog was 'put to rest in the landfill'.