PEARL RIVER COUNTY, Miss.—When a dog slips out of the yard or a cat disappears overnight, time matters. Now, Pearl River County residents who find a lost pet have a way to check for a microchip immediately—without waiting for animal control or making a trip to the shelter.
The county has installed two public microchip scanning stations at the Picayune and Poplarville police departments. The stations allow anyone who finds a stray animal to scan for a microchip and contact the owner directly.
Leaders say the goal is simple: Reunite pets with their families faster and reduce overcrowding at the shelter.
Haley Crowe, a volunteer with the Pearl River County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said she began discussing the idea on Facebook after seeing repeated posts about missing pets.
“It’s kind of what we’re working toward, having more animals microchipped,” Crowe said.
When Crowe approached local officials, she learned plans were already underway.
“I actually went to talk to the police station, kind of explained the situation, and then the main lady came out and said that we already have one in the works and to contact Donna about it, and we were able to go from there,” she said.
Donna Lowe, volunteer and foster coordinator for the Pearl River County SPCA, said the stations could dramatically shorten how long some animals stay in the shelter. In 2025, the SPCA took in 3,165 animals. Only 122 were returned to their owners—and just 31 of those were microchipped.
Without identification, some animals remain at the shelter for months.
“When you bring an animal in, they kind of just shut down, and they don’t do well in a shelter situation,” Crowe said.
Lowe hopes to secure grant funding to offer free microchipping clinics, which currently cost $20 per pet. She said increasing the number of microchipped pets would improve return rates and reduce stress on both animals and staff.
The scanning stations are available 24 hours a day. More advanced scanners, funded by Watts Veterinary Services of Picayune, are expected to be installed soon.
This article first appeared on RHCJC and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.