2024 Delta Animal Expo: A Day of Community, Care, and Connection
The Delta Community Animal Shelter (DCAS) recently hosted its 13th annual Delta Community Animal Expo, an event that has become a cornerstone for local pet lovers and animal welfare advocates in Delta, BC. This year, the expo was as vibrant and successful as ever, drawing a strong turnout and offering a range of activities that both entertained and educated attendees.
BC Pet Registry at the Expo
The BC Pet Registry proudly participated in the Delta Community Animal Expo as exhibitors. Our team eagerly engaged with the community to raise awareness about the importance of pet microchipping and registering pets. Microchipping not only ensures a pet’s safety but also fosters responsible pet ownership and strengthens the bond between pets and their guardians.
The expo also serves as a fundraiser for the Tollie Fund, a vital resource supporting veterinary care, behavior rehabilitation, and other essential services for animals at DCAS. Along with our booth presence, we contributed by donating a gift basket to help support this meaningful event.
A Day Full of Learning and Fun
Our booth was buzzing with activity, thanks to our amazing volunteers and the BC Pet Registry team. We spent the day scanning microchips, educating the public about their importance, and having a blast with all the adorable pets that stopped by. We also handed out stylish bandanas to dogs visiting our booth as a small token of appreciation for both the pets and their responsible owners.
We scanned 70 animals during the one-day expo and were pleased to find that only 12.9% of these pets were unregistered. This reflects a community of responsible pet owners who recognize the importance of keeping their pets’ information up-to-date. Even with this relatively low unregistered rate, we believe that 1 unregistered pet is still too many. By comparison, in previous events, approximately 20% of pets went unprotected. Learn more about pet microchipping myths here.
Memorable Moments
Among the many interactions, a few moments stood out that are worth learning from and serve as valuable reminders for all of us. These moments highlight important lessons and reinforce key principles that we can apply moving forward.
- A Good Samaritan named, Michelle, approached us with a cat she found wandering in her apartment building. She took the sweet cat into her car and came to us for help. After scanning the cat’s microchip, we quickly reunited it with its owner, who lives nearby. This joyful reunion, captured with a police car in the background, was a heartwarming highlight.
- A parrot, yes, a parrot, visited our booth! The parrot was microchipped, and its owner shared delightful stories about their life together, making it the first parrot we’ve ever scanned.
- We also assisted a pet guardian of a service dog who requested a scan. The scan revealed a discrepancy between the microchip number and the dog’s ID card, which could have caused significant issues if the dog were ever lost. The guardian was deeply grateful for our help in correcting this issue.
More Memorable Moments
Looking Ahead
The 2024 DCAS Animal Expo was a resounding success, filled with moments of joy, learning, and community spirit. We are proud to have been part of this wonderful event and look forward to continuing our work in educating pet owners and promoting pet safety and responsibility. Explore other community works we’ve done here.
Missed our booth? No worries! The BC Pet Registry’s next event is at Pet-a-Palooza Vancouver. Find more information here. Come by and say hello as we continue spreading awareness about keeping pets safe and happy in our communities.
