PACC offering free microchips every day through Jan. 5

Pima Animal Care Center is offering free microchips to pets every day from Nov. 27 through Jan. 5, the shelter announced Tuesday.

Anyone interested in receiving a chip for their dog or cat can visit PACC’s Pet Support lobby during business hours. Owners must be Pima County residents.

Microchips are useful for tracking animals when they go missing — a pet with a microchip is nearly three times more likely to make it home than their un-chipped counterparts. Only 15 percent of the around 10,000 stray pets the shelter has taken in this year have had a microchip or a tag, PACC said.

“With the holidays upon us, bringing the chaos of visitors and open doors, and New Year’s fireworks just around the corner, it’s a critical time of year to protect your pet,” PACC Director Monica Dangler said in a press release. “By chipping your pet, you’re both drastically increasing their chance of making it home and keeping pets in the shelter safer by preventing overcrowding.”

Pinal Animal Care and Control between Casa Grande and Eloy will also be offering free microchips for pets belonging to Pinal County residents.

“Pets don’t understand county lines,” said Audra Michael of the Pinal County shelter. “We’re hopeful that by partnering with PACC on this effort, we’ll be able to get more Southern Arizona pets back to their families, where they belong.”

PACC’s Ajo substation, located at 1249 N. Well Rd., will also offer free microchipping on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., as well as on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

PACC’s main location, 4000 N. Silverbell Rd., is regularly open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday from 1:30 to 7 p.m., and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For a full list of available pets and services, visit pima.gov/animalcare.

PACC will be closed this Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving.