Murray pet lovers and owners gathered Saturday at the A. Carman Animal Health Technology Center next to the William “Bill” Cherry Agricultural Expo Center to enjoy the benefits of the Doggie Day Spa.
Co-hosted by the Humane Society of Calloway County and the Animal Health Technology/Pre-Veterinary Club, the event was a fundraiser for both organizations that also provided valuable services to the pet owners in surrounding areas.
“I think a lot of people came out because the services offered were things that suck to do yourself, and the prices were so low,” Jenna Salza, Humane Society volunteer said.
Owners could bring their dogs to the pavilion and have any variety of services done. The Animal Health Technology/Pre-Veterinary Club offered dog bathing and drying, nail clipping and ear cleaning, while the Humane Society offered $10 micro-chipping for dogs as well as DNA testing. Owners were also presented with the opportunity to have custom collars and tags created for their dogs while they waited on their pampering to be complete.
Many owners took advantage of the opportunity to have their animals microchipped for a low price, a service that could come in handy to owners when dogs are lost. The chip is a transponder that is injected into the area between a dog’s shoulder blades, within the excess skin, and is nearly painless to the animal, requiring no follow up or further medical attention.
“After holding dogs that were being chipped all day, you can tell it really doesn’t even phase most of them,” Salza said. “Most of the dogs didn’t even seem to care that they were getting chipped.”
The transponder holds a unique number that can then be scanned by animal shelters that may pick up the dog.
It is custom practice for all shelters to scan dogs for chips, as the number held by the transponder links to a company holding the owner and their emergency contact’s information, allowing the shelters to contact owners so they may pick up their dog.
Event coordinators reported that more than 40 dogs were microchipped at Saturday’s event.
The Humane Society also offered DNA swab kits that can be sent off and tested for those owners curious as to the lineage of and breeds in their dog. The kit pulls from more than 300 breeds and the sample is a simple saliva swab, a pleasant alternative to blood samples.