Friday, February 26, 2010

PetLynx HomeSafe Stories

PetLynx plays an important role in helping companion animals across Canada get HomeSafe! But whether PetLynx is the piece of the puzzle that helps a lost pet get HomeSafe or not, we are happy to share success stories!

Here are some comments from grateful people who wanted to share their pet recover experiences:

I did everything I could to find my cat... I had posters everywhere, went driving and walked in the neighborhood calling her name. On her 4th night missing, I decided to stay up and wait for her to come home. I wandered outside at 1:20 am and went to the back of the house. She came through the bushes, like an angel from heaven. She meowed with happiness and wouldn't stop purring. She is not normally is not a cuddly cat, but was so happy to be home. If you have lost your pet.... don't give up hope, they will come back!
Anonymous

SKY is ALIVE! She was hit by a car several kilometres from our home and has a badly broken back leg, cuts, bruises but most importantly non-life threatening injuries. We are ever so thankful for those loving friends that supported us in so many ways during the 48 hours of worry when she was lost. We are blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
      Sky's Mom


I am very thankful that the PetLynx website is available for anyone who loses or finds an animal. Just a reminder to anyone who see’s an animal wandering around their home.... remember that there is [very likely] a worried family somewhere. The pet just might need your help in finding its way home!
    Aileen,
    Hamilton, Ontario

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

PetLynx Announces New HomeSafe Initiative


23 February 2010

SecuriCan General Insurance Company, Canada's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, and PetLynx Corporation, Canada's innovative, cutting-edge provider of information services for the pet industry, are pleased to announce a new initiative for companion animals in Canada. Under this new collaboration SecuriCan and PetLynx will develop health insurance benefits for the new HomeSafe™ portal and offer pet insurance to all dogs and cats in Canada.


The Urban Animal Surveys conducted for PetLynx Corporation by Ipsos Reid in 2008 and dmrkynetec in 2009 clearly show that health and wellness is a top priority for pet families. These studies also show higher instances of surrender and euthanasia in communities where health care benefits aren't readily available for companion animals. To reduce or eliminate this situation the parties will work with municipalities, humane societies, veterinarians, breeders, retailers and other service providers in each community to ensure that every pet in the HomeSafe™ program is provided with medical benefits at the moment it reaches its first pet family home.


The HomeSafe™ program will provide a range of products and prices from three of the leading pet insurance brands in Canada. Pet families will choose the type of medical insurance that best meets their budget and their needs from among these offerings. Since this coverage will also be registered in the pet's record on the HomeSafe™ national system, those pets requiring emergency intervention will have the shortest path to medical attention in Canada.


There are over 14 million dogs and cats in Canada that require health insurance benefits. Using the HomeSafe™ program will give pet retailers, pet breeders, humane societies, veterinarians and other providers the ability to ensure the pets they place or service have medical benefits right from the beginning of each new relationship. In addition, pet families will manage their insurance coverage online using the HomeSafe™ portal where they manage their care profiles, breed information, recovery services, pet pictures and licensing.


'We believe this is the most comprehensive approach to improving health & wellness for companion animals in Canada', said Randy Valpy, President and CEO of SecuriCan General Insurance Company. We have already paid out more than $103,000,000 in claims which means Canadians can trust us. Now with PetLynx and the HomeSafe™ program we will take health and wellness to a new level'.


'Health care is one of the highest priorities Canadians have', said Larry R. Evans, President & CEO of PetLynx Corporation. 'Our colleagues across Canada helped us become the largest automated recovery system in just three years. Together with SecuriCan we will deliver a new level of health and wellness for pets and help Canadian communities become the best place for companion animals in the world.'


SecuriCan will launch this new collaboration in Canada on 19 April 2010, at the PetLynx Regional Summits for Urban Animal Strategies.


For more information please contact:


Mika Sanson
SecuriCan General Insurance Company
204.942.2999 ext 7297
msanson@securican.ca
http://www.securican.ca/


Cindy Kreutzer
PetLynx Corporation
403.219.1088
cindy.kreutzer@petlynxmail.com
http://www.petlynx.net/



Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Friday, February 19, 2010

Lost your pet? Don't give up hope!

We adopted "Haley" from the Arizona Humane Society last November. She soon became our much-loved little princess. Although she has been kept as an indoor cat, she managed to sneak outside one day and was missing for almost two weeks.

I never gave up hope that I would find my beloved little cat. I went to the Dog Pound and the Humane Society to check for her every day. I also continued to walk through our neighborhood, calling her name every night -- sometimes until 1:00 in the morning. (My friends and family thought I was crazy but I didn't care!) I also left my arcade door open a crack, just in case she came back on her own. Guess what?! She did come back!

One morning I woke up to a familiar meow. It was Haley! My family and I were thrilled that she had returned on her own! Although it was not a factor in her recovery, we were certain we would eventually get Haley back because she has a pet identification microchip that was implanted by the Humane Society. Please ,if you every adopt a pet, make sure you get the chip put in or, if they don't offer it to you, ask for one. This chip provided us some peace of mind.

If you have lost your pet.... I hope that our story helps give you hope!

Thank you,
Cammie Lynn H.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Step by Step to Help a Lost Pet

Found a pet? Here help:

Be safe! Not Sorry! If the animal is aggressive or you fear for your safety, call your local animal control centre for assistance.



If the animal is manageable, check for identification and record this information on a sheet of paper.



Once you have written down all of this information, register the animal as "Found" on PetLynx. Don't worry if you can't find any form of I.D.! PetLynx's AutoMatch system can make matches based on physical description alone! 

Look for ID on collars: If there are no visible tags, take the collar off and check for a hand-written phone on the underside o the collar

Check for tattoos: Look inside both ears, on the inside hind legs and on the abdomen. Don't worry if you can't decipher the tattoo, PetLynx can search for AutoMatches even with a partial tattoo number.

Check for a Microchip: This form of "electronic identification" is smaller than a grain of rice and is inserted under the animal's skin. You can't actually see or feel a microchip, so will have to take the animal to a veterinary clinic or animal shelter to have the animal "scanned" for a microchip.

In addition to adding the pet to the lost and found network, PetLynx enables you to easily create and print posters to distribute around your neighbourhood.

You should also:
  • Contact your local SPCA and Animal Control Centre. 
  • Contact local veterinary clinics, pet groomers and pet supply stores. 
  • Check the "Lost and Found" column of your local paper. 
  • Place an ad in your local paper -- this ad space is generally offered free of charge.  
  • Ask neighbours if they recognize the animal. 
  • If you have found a purebred animal, contact a breed organization. 
When you find the guardian, don't forget to contact the various groups keeping records -- including PetLynx -- and let them know the animal is HomeSafe so they can take the animal off their records.

Monday, February 8, 2010

An Tail-Wagging Welcome for a Returning Soldier

We're all thrilled when a lost pet comes Home Safe... but have you ever thought about how our animal companions feel when a human member of the family gets HomeSafe, too!

Take a look at this YouTube video of a dog that is super excited to see her soldier returning home from a tour of duty in Afghanistan! The bond between this man and his dog is undeniable!