Woman uses personal chip scanner to reunite lost pets with owners
A Michiana woman is spending her spare time reuniting lost critters with their humans.
Using a wand to read their microchips, she says she does it to help the community.
Tina Donica says she has reunited dozens of dogs and cats with their owners, from southern Michigan to Warsaw.
“I can go from scanning three or four times a week to sometimes three or four times a day. It just depends,” Donica said.
She starts with finding lost pets on Facebook, then meets them to go scan.
An identification number comes up on the scanner, and from there, Donica makes calls, investigating, until she finds the owners.
“It is a wonderful feeling,” Donica said.
That feeling is contagious, as word has spread about what Donica is doing.
“I think Tina has just done so much for our community that she deserves recognition. She goes out of her way to find lost pets,” Ruth Szyarto, a fellow Michiana dog owner said.
Donica says she often succeeds.
Her journal is filled with dozens of chip numbers, and she claims almost every pet has been returned home..
“I know how I would feel if my dog were missing, and that someone were to help me find it. I think we all can appreciate that kind of a situation,” Szyarto said.
Donica can also appreciate that situation.
As a dog owner herself, she says this is about empathy.
“I know how I feel about my animals. They’re my babies, and I would want someone to do the same and if it’s as simple as scanning it, calling, getting the information,” Donica said.