Free Ride Home Program

Dog riding in a car with its head out the window - graphic We know how difficult it can be to return lost cats and dogs to their families when the animals are not wearing collars and tags. They can't tell us where they belong. So, Chesapeake Animal Service is making this pledge to our citizens:

If an Animal Control Officer picks up a pet wearing a tag that the officer can trace, or has a registered microchip, the officer will bring the pet home, rather than taking it to the shelter. (This is provided that there is no serious law violation such as a bite or mauling, and that there is an adult owner home to receive the pet.)

This is our pledge to our citizens and the animals.

If citizens will meet Animal Services halfway by putting collars and tags on pets,
our officers are eager to go the extra distance and bring them home.