BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — After the holidays, some families may come home expecting a familiar face waiting at the door. However, others might find their furry friend is missing — and the City’s animal shelter says they may be there, waiting to be picked up.
- Video shows several of the new intakes who found their way to the City of Bakersfield Animal Care Center on Mount Vernon Avenue during Christmas.
- Over the Christmas holiday, in about 24 hours, the shelter took in 16 animals they believe have homes and Director Matt Buck said they’re expecting even more to arrive shortly.
After the holidays, some families may come home expecting a familiar face waiting at the door. However, others might find their furry friend is missing — and the City’s animal shelter says they may be there, waiting to be picked up.
“There was a pug named Precious that came in probably about six months ago with a microchip,” said Matthew Buck, director of the City of Bakersfield Animal Care Center on Mount Vernon Avenue. “The owners had been looking for their dog for five years.”
The shelter is often filled with dogs looking for a "furever" home, but during this time of year, it sees more pets being brought in who are hoping to reunite with their owners.
“A lot of people have their pets in unfamiliar places or a family member is out of town, and a lot of times they’ll forget and leave a gate open,” Buck said.
Over the Christmas holiday, in about 24 hours, the shelter took in 16 animals they believe have homes. Buck said they’re expecting even more to arrive shortly.
“During this season, we'll get an influx in the next couple of weeks of people who got a Christmas puppy, and then the puppy stage wears off,” he said.
Buck explained that it’s easy to tell when an animal is likely a pet rather than a stray, based on their condition. This is why the shelter believes most of the animals being brought in have owners who may not know their pets are missing.
“The majority of the dogs that come into the shelter appear to have been owned at one point and recently. Most of them have collars, and most are fairly well-groomed,” Buck said.
Pets that aren’t claimed within a few days are put up for adoption and, eventually, may be transferred to a rescue. But the goal is to reunite pets with their families — which is why the shelter always scans for microchips, as they did in Precious’s case.
“It was a big, beautiful moment,” Buck said. “They had kids who had been missing the dog, the kids were crying, the parents were crying, the staff here was crying — it was just a big, beautiful moment.”
With the Christmas holiday over, the shelter is now preparing for New Year’s, especially with the potential for fireworks. Buck stressed the importance of making sure pets are microchipped and that contact information is updated.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
