Pet road deaths

R.I.P.  It’s so sad when we lose a pet, they are part of the family.   Even worse when we don’t know what’s happened to him or her.   Dogs escape, cats go roaming and if they don’t come back home we will be wondering about them forever.  Up to a few weeks ago there was no requirement on Local Authorities to screen pets who had been knocked down and killed.  They were taken to the Highways Depot and disposed of without being checked for a microchip.   It was then impossible to notify the owner and bring closure.

Now it’s mandatory for the Local Authority to check any pet road casualty and notify the owner what’s happened.    A lady from Sheffield whose pet poodle ‘Harvey’ was knocked down by a car only a few minutes after going missing, has won her battle with the government to make Local Authorities scan all pets and, if not microchipped, take a description of the pet.   If any cat or dog goes missing you can now check with the Council to see if he or she has been taken in as a road casualty.   It’s best to know even if it is the worst news possible.