SPCA Partners with Pet Reunification Service

COOPERSTOWN—The Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has announced a partnership with DocuPet, a leading provider of modern pet registration and lost pet recovery services, to help reunite lost pets with their families faster than ever before. This collaboration will bring DocuPet’s HomeSafe^® 24/7 lost pet service and the National Pet Record Search to the Otsego County community—helping prevent shelter overcrowding, reducing intake costs, and giving pet owners a reliable way to bring their companions home.

Every year, millions of pets go missing across North America. National statistics show that only 18–20 percent of lost dogs and fewer than 4 percent of cats entering shelters are ever reunited with their owners. The challenge isn’t a lack of care—it’s a lack of connection. Fragmented systems, outdated technology and limited records make it difficult for shelters to identify and return lost pets quickly, officials said.

According to a press release, through this partnership every registered pet in our community will receive a free, custom ID tag linked to their secure, online pet profile. If a pet goes missing, owners can submit a Lost Pet Report and get immediate service from DocuPet’s HomeSafe^® team. Real-time alerts are sent to local residents and shelters. When a community member or animal control officer finds a lost pet, they can enter the unique tag ID on DocuPet’s website or call the HomeSafe^® team directly. HomeSafe^® will guide the successful reunification, offering live support 24/7, 365 days a year. Ideally, officials said, this means faster reunifications and fewer pets entering shelters.

DocuPet empowers shelters with access to the National Animal Shelter Network, providing an advanced, national search tool to identify pets using their unique ID codes, microchip data, breed, physical descriptions, and even special markings. With access to cross-jurisdictional records, shelter teams can quickly locate owners and drastically reduce the length of stay for lost pets.

“Lost pets shouldn’t have to rely on luck to make it back home,” said SQSPCA Executive Director Stacie Haynes. “With DocuPet’s technology, we can help reunite pets with their families even faster.”

According to Haynes, these benefits create a lasting effect for our region. From quick reunifications to improved shelter outcomes, every pet owner, staff member, and animal now has access to DocuPet’s powerful resources—helping more pets get home and more lives change for the better.

“It is important to note that the use of DocuPet does not replace microchips,” explained Haynes. “This program is an added layer of protection for your pet, speeding up reunification, but when you create your profile, we urge you to still add your pet’s microchip number—when we scan for a chip we’ll be able to use the number that pops up to find your profile in the DocuPet system.

“Anyone who finds a lost pet on the streets can use the number on your pet’s tag to connect with you as well through DocuPet’s representatives,” Haynes said.

For more information on DocuPet, visit https://www.docupet.com/. To learn more about the Susquehanna SPCA, visit https://www.sqspca.org/.