The City of Austin’s Animal Services Office is kicking off a citywide program
offering members of the Austin and Travis County communities free pet I.D. tags
and microchips to help keep pets out of the animal shelter system.

The free I.D. tags, collars and HomeAgain Microchips will be offered to all pet
owners in the community from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at the Austin Animal Center
in Central East Austin at 7201 Levander Loop.

Last year, 7,000 stray dogs ended up at the animal shelter and only 30 percent
of those were reunited with their families. Many animals arrive in good health
and with collars on, suggesting that it is some person’s missing pet. Without
any identification on the pet there is no way to notify the owners. The animals
wait the legally required three-day holding period and then move through the
shelter system.

http://www.austintexas.gov/news/animal-services-launches-free-microchip-id-tag-campaign

It might reach more folks, in addition to the website, and get more folks to join and get more information out.

An example on a larger scale: In the late 70’s, the city of New York started an anti-graffiti campaign for the subway system to try to curb the increasing crime rate on the subways. Within the first 3 month, the crime rate on the subway system dropped 60%. The act of physically cleaning up the subway cars cut the crime rate by 60%!!!!

For all those who are already in compliance… Thank you for doing your part to keep OUR neighborhood nice, clean and safe.

For the others, please realize that your overgrown lawn, broken garage door, falling down fence, sagging gutter or pile of trash on your property DOES have an impact on the entire neighborhood. Even if you are renting, you are still a part of this community and you should be concerned with this problem for your safety and your neighbors’.

Please be a good neighbor….

….and Keep It Clean!!!!