Greater Sayville coverage is funded in part by The Shed, your scratch kitchen for brunch and dinner daily at 21 Main St. in West Sayville.
Local officials, including Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon, Jr. and Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter, announced the creation this week of the county’s first ever Lost Pet Network.
The new program, the officials explained during a Tuesday press conference, will provide participating owners with a printed pet identification card, and enrolled pets will be added to a database designed to help quickly locate missing animals.
“As Suffolk County sheriff, my priority is keeping residents safe, and that extends to the four-legged members of our communities,” Toulon said. “The sheriff’s Lost Pet Network will help deputy sheriffs and other municipal partners swiftly and safely locate residents’ missing pets by utilizing an ID driven database.”
Toulon anticipates the program will return more dogs and cats safely back to their “loving families.”
The program, which is being kicked off during National Pet Week, asks that pet owners fill out a brief form and provide a clear photograph of the pet.
Click here to electronically fill out a pet identification form.
The information collected will include breed, address, contact information and any medical needs. The county will store the information on a secure database, which will help the sheriff’s office alert the appropriate stakeholders when a pet goes missing.
Each pet is assigned a unique number (on the pet ID card) that will link to the sheriff’s database, allowing the office to quickly disseminate accurate identifying information about missing pets and swiftly find and return the animals to their owners.
After enrolling, residents can pick up a physical copy of their pet’s ID card at the sheriff’s Civil Enforcement Bureau at 360 Yaphank Ave. in Yaphank.
“This is another valuable tool that can assist pet owners when locating a lost pet,” Carpenter said. “We commend Sheriff Toulon for creating this worthwhile program, and look forward to its success.”
Toulon and Carpenter were joined by Suffolk County SPCA Chief Roy Gross at the announcement.
Top image: Facebook/Town of Islip
