On February 27th  “Little Cat”, a licensed cat living in the City of Guelph, was reported lost by his owner Michelle on DocuPet’s Lost Pet System. The next day, news came through that Little Cat was found! While tired and hungry from his adventure, he was otherwise healthy and happy to be home.

The City of Guelph’s mandatory cat licensing by-law came into effect on January 1st, with the goal of reuniting more cats with their families. On average, shelters get twice as many cats as dogs, and a cat is 83% less likely to get back home than a dog, according to the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. A major reason for this is that cat licensing is not mandatory in nearly as many municipalities as dog licensing is.

The DocuPet North American Pet Licensing Annual Research Report for 2018 found that an average established cat licensing program in North America results in 7% of a municipality’s cat population becoming licensed. In just two months an estimated 5.7% of the Guelph cat population is already licensed. This success was achieved by collaboration between the City, the Guelph Humane Society and DocuPet – the City’s official pet licensing partner.

Licensed pet owners in Guelph receive a $25.00 voucher for Ren’s Pets, over 30 exclusive discounts/deals and, most importantly, DocuPet’s Lost and Found Pet Services. Cat licences are between $18.75 and $25.00, a small price to pay for peace of mind, especially when the vouchers cover the fee!

Michelle is relieved to have licensed Little Cat!  Her story is familiar:  An outdoor cat who went out looking for a lady friend and got lost. Instead of searching the City, Michelle could call on the local Lost Pet Brigade by submitting a DocuPet Lost Pet Report. This report was submitted through the online licensing website, where she shared details about Little Cat, a recent photo, and how/when/where he was lost.

The report was then shared publicly on the guelph.docupet.com website and across Social Media. Most importantly, it was sent to DocuPet’s local “Pet Brigade”; a group of licensed pet owners who have asked to receive messages about lost pets in Guelph. Two of DocuPet’s locally hired Community Representatives also helped with the search.

The next day, a cat was found with Guelph DocuPet Tags and the lady who found him looked up the tag number on the Licensing Website and contacted Michelle! A Found Pet Notice was then sent to the Pet Brigade, prompting widespread celebration. Little Cat was picked up by his owners and has now visited the Vet to be neutered so he doesn’t go out searching for love again.

“I absolutely adore the DocuPet system and am thrilled with the effectiveness. Having Little Cat licensed is the reason he was returned home safely.” Says Michelle. She also hopes that Little Cat‘s story will help encourage others to license their pets.

“We are thrilled to be able to share this positive story with the Guelph community and to have played a part in facilitating Michelle and Little Cat’s reunion. Returning lost pets home is our priority at DocuPet – our entire team becomes involved.” Says Savannah Vince, Manager of Municipal Relationships at DocuPet.

Going above and beyond, the City of Guelph is dedicating $5.00 from every cat licence sold for a program that supports cat welfare. So far over $7,000.00 is reserved for this program.