Recently the National Pet Register attended the EKKA, Brisbane’s equivalent of the Melbourne Show. The EKKA is attended by tens of thousands of people and provides us with a great opportunity to reach a large number of pets.
This was our first year at the EKKA and National Pet Register Operations Manager Melaine Robinson and her team were kept very busy handing out a whopping 681 free ID tags to pet owners.
“I find it very rewarding knowing that 681 pets are now wearing an identification tag and therefore have a much better chance of being reunited with their owner should they ever become lost,” said Melaine.
“I have been attending events for over 20 years giving out free ID tags or microchipping dogs and cats and after every event I have a real sense that I have made a difference; that more pets will find their way home because we made identification available and accessible to owners” added Melaine.
During the EKKA the National Pet Register team also had the opportunity to talk to owners about responsible pet ownership, particularly in relation to identification.
“It really is amazing how naïve some people can be about identifying their pets, so it’s great to be able to improve their knowledge. Particularly the importance of keeping their contact information up to date” said Melaine.
One pet owner at the EKKA experienced just how effective National Pet Register free tags can be. Rex, a lovely Staffy cross, wandered away from home less than 24-hours after his owner Ian placed his free National Pet Register tag on his collar.
He was found walking down the street by a lady who called the National Pet Register after checking his tag. One of our Call Centre Operators then contacted Melaine after unsuccessfully checking for Rex’s tag on the database, knowing that, as Rex was in Brisbane and so was Melaine, there was a chance he had only recently received his tag at the EKKA. It didn’t take Melaine long to locate Rex’s form with Ian’s contact information and Rex was soon on his way back home.
“It is definitely the best feeling to call an owner and let them know you have found their pet and they are safe,” said Melaine.
To get your free National Pet Register ID, go to petregister.com.au
The National Pet Register reunites over 250 lost pets with their owners every week.
