Burke County launches new GIS tool to track lost pets

For many, pets are additional family members, and many owners know the feeling or the fear of having their bonus family member go missing. But now, with Burke County’s new interactive GIS tool, reuniting with lost pets could become much easier.

The online map, located on the county’s animal resource website, is designed to be user-friendly, and allows community members to report lost or found animals in real time, according to a news release from the Burke County Animal Resource Center. It also displays stray animals that have been brought to the shelter. To find the tool, click on “Report a Lost Pet.”

The tool aims to reduce shelter intake by creating a centralized location for all lost and found pet reports, further increasing the chances of pets and their owners being reunited. To file a report, community members include the date lost or found, the pet’s name, gender, age, breed, color, and contact information. There’s also the option to upload a photo.

According to Director of Burke County Animal Resource Center Kaitlin Settlemyre, most pets that go missing are found within a mile or two of their home. So, people will be able to regularly check within their area to see if there are any reports.

“We know that most lost pets don’t need a shelter — they just need help finding their way home,” Settlemyre said. “This map is a great step toward keeping pets with their people and out of the shelter. We’re asking the community to help by using and sharing this resource anytime they see a lost or found pet.”

At its current facility, Burke County Animal Resource Center has 16 dog kennels and 22 cat cages. While the shelter isn’t overwhelmed like it has been before, Settlemyre said, “we want to make sure that we are reserving our shelter space for our most vulnerable animals.”

Those animals include sick or injured animals, or animals that animal control comes across that are aggressive. “If we can keep these healthy ones in the community that they were found, then they have a better chance of getting back to their owners,” Settlemyre said.

“I’m not saying if they don’t get reclaimed within a few days that we can’t intake that animal but just making sure that we’re being strategic about who comes into the shelter is very important to save lives,” Settlemyre said.

Burke County Animal Resource Center is also preparing to install a public microchip scanning station by mid-November. The self-service station will allow residents to scan found pets for microchips and quickly identify their owners.

Settlemyre said she’s still sorting out the location for the first station, but that it will likely be the Morganton Public Library. She added that she is trying to get two more scanners at the Valdese Public Library and the C.B. Hildebrand Public Library.

In December, she said the Animal Resource Center plans on hosting a free microchip clinic, potentially at the Morganton Public Library, so that more animals in Burke County are able to be scanned through the stations. She also said that animal control officers carry small QR code tags that can serve as an alternative to microchipping, where owners can create a profile for their pet with identification information.

“Burke County Animal Resource Center encourages residents to spread the word about this new tool,” Settlemyre stated. “If you see a post about a lost or found animal on social media, please direct individuals to the interactive map to ensure the information reaches as many people as possible.”