The City of Buellton has partnered with the Santa Barbara County Animal Care Foundation to install five new digital pet microchip scanner stations across the community, providing community members with around-the-clock access to technology that can help reunite lost pets with their owners.
The self-service scanner stations are now available at PAWS Dog Park within River View Park, River View Park, Village Park, Oak Park, and the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society office.
Residents who find a stray animal can scan for a microchip on-site and use public online microchip registries to quickly identify and contact the pet’s owner.
Each station includes instructions, making it simple for community members to assist in the reunification process without needing to transport animals to a shelter.
City officials say the initiative is also designed to reduce shelter overcrowding by allowing healthy lost pets to be identified and returned home more quickly.
The scanners are fully operational and available for public use 24 hours a day.
