Lafayette Pet Microchip Scanning Stations Now Open

(LAFAYETTE, La) - If you've ever spotted a stray dog or cat and had no idea how to find their family, FLASH has a solution, and it's available around the clock. I only wish I had this solution years ago when one of my dogs decided to go for a run and never come back.

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FLASH (Finding Lost Animals in Southwest and Surrounding Habitats) has been busy installing microchip scanning stations across the Lafayette area, giving residents a free, easy way to scan a found pet and get them back home where they belong. No appointment needed. No waiting on anyone. Just walk up and scan.

Lafayette Microchip Scanning Station Locations

Right now, six locations are up and running:

Lafayette Animal Shelter | 410 N. Dugas Rd., Lafayette
Lafayette Police Department | 900 E. University Ave., Lafayette
Youngsville Police Department | 311 Lafayette St., Youngsville
Spay Nation for Dogs and Cats | 1640 North Bertrand Dr., Lafayette
Duson Police Department | 300 2nd St., Duson
Paws and Paw Paws | 930 Robley Dr., Lafayette

All six stations are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And the good news keeps coming. Two more locations are on the way soon.

Cost to Microchip Pets in Lafayette

The scanning stations only work if your pet is already microchipped. The good news is it's quick, affordable, and available right here in Lafayette. The Lafayette Animal Shelter and Care Center offers microchipping for $15 per pet, with the fee including lifetime registration. They hold quarterly low-cost clinics, and the shelter also offers $15 microchipping to Lafayette Parish residents during weekday business hours, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Your regular vet can chip your pet as well, typically for $25 to $50. Either way, it's a one-time cost that could save you a lot of heartache.

Read More: Llamas as Pets in Louisiana?

If your pet isn't microchipped yet, this is a good reminder that a chip is the single best way to make sure a lost pet finds their way back to you. With stations like these popping up across Acadiana, reunions just got a whole lot easier.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Gallery Credit: Elena Kadvany