Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column
It’s easily done. Cats silently slip in and out of doors without a fanfare announcing their arrival, nobody notices, and, before you know it, they’re shut in – imprisoned somewhere they shouldn’t be.
It could be a cupboard, shed, garage, empty house or vehicle. The animal charity, Mayhew, recently came to the rescue of a five-month old kitten, Kismis, who got herself into trouble by inviting herself into a lorry in Hounslow, no one noticed and she got shut in.
Two days later Kismis was found on an industrial estate in
Ealing with no idea how to get home. A concerned worker spotted her and contacted Mayhew who scanned her for a microchip which, fortunately, she had. Because Kismis had been microchipped, she was reunited with her owners later that day.
The story of Kismis reinforces the importance of two things. Firstly, we should look before we close sheds, garages etc to make sure we’re not shutting in an animal by mistake. And, secondly, the importance of microchipping our pets. Without a microchip, the chances of a lost pet being reunited with their owner are low.
The process of microchipping involves a microchip (the size of a grain of rice), with a unique number on it, being implanted into the back of the pet’s neck. The number is then stored on a central database together with the owner’s name and address. If a stray animal is found, it can be scanned for a microchip and reunited with its owner. It’s important for owners to keep their contact details up-to-date.
Microchipping is widely available at vets. Mayhew offer lowcost microchipping at their clinic, for details call 020 8962 8000. It’s a legal requirement that all dogs are microchipped.
Alexa is already microchipped, ready for her new home.
She came into the care of
Mayhew as a stray. As she is friendly, Mayhew think she must have been someone’s pet in the past but was then abandoned. She likes to get to know new people slowly but, when she’s ready, she will sit on your lap. If you would like to meet this lovely girl, she’s waiting at Mayhew, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green.
In order to raise funds, the George Michael Story are holding a live show with proceeds going to Mayhew – a charity close to his heart. The event takes guests on a musical journey through George Michael’s hits. It takes place on Sunday June 23 at The Clapham Grand. For details and tickets, see themayhew.org.