Losing your pet is devastating. Our dogs and cats are not just pets but family members, really. Although we put up flyers, call neighbors, and do everything we can to get our pets back sometimes they just never return home. Until today, most of our local police officers did not have access to microchip scanners, which results in animals being sent to shelters instead of back home. Each year 20,000 dogs and cats are euthanized in Allegheny County, including lost pets, which prompted Bob Fragasso, owner of Fragasso Financial Advisors, to step in.
Fragasso, who is on the board for Animal Friends, and his wife purchased a microchip scanner for a local police department and knew how imperative it was for all departments in Allegheny County to have one as well. Todays press conference at Animal Friends celebrated the fact that 118 police departments will now have microchip scanners. This is essential to getting your pets home safely and saving their lives.
The group responsible for making this possible spoke to the crowd this morning. Along with Fragasso, County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr, Allegheny County Treasurer and AAARF board member John K. Weinstein, and Point Breeze veterinarian and AAARF president Dr. Larry Gerson, were all a part of the team who made this a reality. David Swisher, president and CEO at Animal Friends, also spoke of his excitement in this milestone. The scanners cost about $200 each and no tax money was used for the purchases.
Chloe Hubal, Maniac’s July/Aug Cover model and Animal Friends rescue dog, tagged along with us today. She was equally as excited as the rest of us and even posed with the big wigs.
This is a great day for dogs, cats, and animal lovers alike. We thank EVERYONE who was involved in making this happen.
