Newly installed microchip scanner at Daniel Island Library aims to reunite lost pets

A lost pet on Daniel Island no longer has to set off a late-night scramble through Facebook posts, vet visits, and neighborhood searches.

A new microchip scanning station at the Daniel Island Library is designed to reunite animals with their owners in minutes, no matter the time of day. 

Unveiled on April 28, the station is a partnership between Berkeley County Government and Pet Helpers Adoption Center. Positioned just outside the library doors, it gives residents immediate, free access to scan lost pets and identify their owners on the spot. 

“The amount of stray and lost animals that are in the community right now are filling up all of our shelters dramatically,” said JJ Steele, marketing director for Pet Helpers. “By putting a microchip station in a community that needs it, it helps get animals directly back into their homes before they ever have to step foot in a shelter.” 

Using the station is straightforward. A handheld scanner is passed along the animal’s body to detect a microchip, typically implanted between the shoulders. “It's about the size of a rice kernel,” Steele said. If a chip is found, a number appears on the scanner that can be entered into a national database through a QR code at the station. 

“Every single animal that's been microchipped is going to be in that database,” Steele said. “That way they can directly contact an owner and reunite that pet with their family.” 

Using the device takes just minutes. “You simply hit the red button, run it all over the animal's body, and it displays a number,” Steele said. “It really is that simple. The whole process takes two minutes.” 

The station also fills a major gap after hours. “What happens at six o'clock when a veterinary office is closed?” Steele said. “What are you going to do if you come across an animal that's lost at that point? Bringing them to a microchip station like this solves that problem really quickly.” 

The idea originated from the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association, which reached out to Pet Helpers looking for solutions. The Daniel Island station is now the third of five purchased by the organization, joining locations at James Island Town Hall and Gold Star Coffee on Johns Island. “We have had, that we know of, six successful reunions,” Steele said.  

The Daniel Island station is expected to remain permanently in place, offering a 24/7 resource for lost pets. And with microchipping costing as little as $25, Steele hopes more pet owners will take the preventative step. 

“No more going to the vet's office. No more going to the shelter. We're finding out right here and now whose dog this is,” Steele said.