GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Kent County has updated its dog license program. Partnering with PetHub, license tags will now feature a QR code on the back.
"Anyone who finds him, can quickly scan a QR code," said Angela Hollinshead, animal shelter division director at the Kent County Animal Shelter. "They can access whatever information you want to put on there, and it will direct them back to you, so you can get your dog back."
Registration can be done online on Kent County's website. It is $17 for the year, and the PetHub service is included in that price.
"That money goes directly back to us," said Hollinshead. "We use it to buy pet food, cleaning products, office supplies. All of it goes back into our fund to provide for the animals. Medical care is a big one."
Pet owners can put as little or as much information on their PetHub page as they want. They can even include pictures.
Registration is also important to give information about a dog's vaccination status, which can be crucial if someone is bitten by that dog.
"It shows the person who is bitten that this dog is vaccinated against rabies," said Hollinshead. "So, there’s less of a chance they’ll come down with the disease, the virus."
Even if someone does not have a smartphone, they are able to locate the tag number and call the Kent County Animal Shelter.
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