BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Kern County Animal Services is asking local businesses to help reunite lost pets with their families by hosting microchip scanning stations throughout the community.
The initiative aims to bridge the gap between when pets go missing and when animal services facilities are open to help. Nick Cullen, director of Kern County Animal Services, explained the concept behind the scanning stations.
"So, what the scanning station is it's a microchip scanner with some instructions on how to use it, and the purpose is that animal services isn't open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but people find dogs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," Cullen said.
Microchipping has become increasingly common among pet owners, creating more opportunities to quickly identify lost animals and contact their families.
"It gets implanted into your animal, in between its shoulder blades, and it's a permanent form of identification," Cullen said.
While there's no exact count of how many dogs go missing annually in Kern County, the scale of the problem became evident during just one weekend in 2025. During the Fourth of July weekend, animal services received 163 lost dog reports, representing hundreds of pets and families hoping for safe reunions.
The county is now reaching out to businesses ranging from gas stations to grocery stores to host scanning stations across the area. Kern County will cover the cost of equipment and installation for participating businesses.
"Then, hopefully, people in the community find pets, they come to your business, scan them, find a microchip, who knows, maybe they'll get that dog back to its owner," Cullen said.
For businesses, the commitment is minimal, but for lost pets and worried families, the impact could be significant. Kern County Animal Services encourages interested businesses to reach out and learn more about participating in the program.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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