A few weeks ago, V.J. Andrews of Austin noticed a 5-year-old Pomeranian mix dog, wandering along Texas 123 near Seguin. When he pulled over to help the little lost dog, the dog needed little coaxing: the Pomeranian happily jumped inside Andrew's car and plopped down on the seat. Andrews took the dog home. His wife, Patty, then took the dog to an Austin vet clinic where he was scanned for a microchip. Luckily, a microchip was found.

When Sharri Boyett of San Marcos received the call that her dog “Cheeto” had been found, she burst into tears. “I couldn't believe it was true,” she said. “He was gone almost a year.”

Even though Boyett has a fully-fenced yard, she said deer, raccoons, or armadillos had bent portions of the fencing around her yard, giving her 11-pound Cheeto, an inside dog who was out for a little playtime, just enough space to squeeze out and chase after some deer on that fateful day.

Cheeto was lost on July 23, 2010, wearing both a collar and tag. Boyett posted fliers and notices and worked with local shelters to find her dog. Ten months later, he was found just 15 miles away from home with no collar or tag. His rescuers had him scanned for a microchip and thanks to that technology, he was reunited with Boyett on May 6, 2011.

Recently, Cheeto met with the San Marcos mayor and sat before the city council as Boyett shared their reunion story. As the executive director of Pet Prevent A Litter of Central Texas, Boyett is a strong proponent for microchipping and hopes Cheeto's story will encourage others to microchip their pets.

“Microchipping worked for Cheeto,” says Boyett. “He's home again.”

Help homeless pets

The city of San Antonio approved $1.8 million funding for the Animal Adoption Center at Brackenridge Park to provide more adoption space for the city's homeless pets. But the funding doesn't cover the entire project. So Friends of Animal Care Services, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is trying to raise $400,000 by the end of summer to ensure groundbreaking begins this winter.

Why is building an animal shelter so expensive? “It's all about the plumbing,” says Sallie Scott, president of the Friends of Animal Care Services. “To keep the place clean, every dog kennel, puppy area, and cat room must have a drain. It's like building three dozen bathrooms in your home.”

If you want to help, send your tax-deductible donation to the San Antonio Area Foundation, 110 Broadway, Suite 230, San Antonio, TX 78205-1974. You may also make your donation online by visiting www.saafdn.org. Please make sure you indicate that the donation is for The Friends of Animal Care Services.

Kudos to ADL

I just want to give a shout out to the Animal Defense League. Over the past year, I have noticed a real uptick in the number of scheduled adoption events and opportunities for potential adopters to find their next friend at their shelter. Right now, ADL is staying open until 8 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month throughout the summer to accommodate potential adopters.

Regrettably, I can't run every organization's special events, but you can stay-up-to-date on animal activities by visiting www.sapaws.com and checking out the SAPaws calendar.
