Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon, Jr., Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter and local officials announced the creation of the county’s first-ever Lost Pet Network.
The new program will provide participating owners with a printed pet identification card, and enrolled pets will be added to a database designed to help quickly locate missing animals.
“As Suffolk County sheriff, my priority is keeping residents safe, and that extends to the four-legged members of our communities,” Toulon said. “The sheriff’s Lost Pet Network will help deputy sheriffs and other municipal partners swiftly and safely locate residents’ missing pets by utilizing an ID driven database.”
Toulon anticipates the program will return more dogs and cats safely back to their “loving families.”
The program, which is being kicked off during National Pet Week, asks that pet owners fill out a brief form and provide a clear photograph of the pet.
The information collected will include breed, address, contact information and any medical needs. The county will store the information on a secure database, which will help the sheriff’s office alert the appropriate stakeholders when a pet goes missing.
Each pet is assigned a unique number (on the pet ID card) that will link to the sheriff’s database, allowing the office to quickly disseminate accurate identifying information about missing pets and swiftly find and return the animals to their owners.
After enrolling, residents can pick up a physical copy of their pet’s ID card at the sheriff’s Civil Enforcement Bureau at 360 Yaphank Ave. in Yaphank.
