SOLIHULL MP BACKS PETSEARCH CAMPAIGN FOR STRAY ANIMALS

10.30.42am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th May 2007

Solihull's MP, Lorely Burt has written to ministers calling for funding to help local authorities discharge their responsibilities to stray animals following a visit to Solihull based charity, PetsSearch.

Mrs Burt visited the home of Paula and Harry Greaves who started PetSearch from their home in Old Lode Lane, Elmdon some seventeen years ago. They now have a network of 350 branches from Inverness to the Isle of Wight, all run by volunteers helping to place stray cats and dogs with their original owners; or if they can't be found, in new homes.

Lorely Burt MP said:

"I am very impressed with the work done by PetSearch and will be encouraging council officers responsible for animal welfare to work more closely with them, giving every chance to find the original owners of pets that have been injured or picked up from the street.

"More pet owners are now 'micro-chipping' their pets so that a lost animal can be scanned to identify the owner from a national database. This can be done by a visit to the vet for a simple insert the size of a grain of rice, and can greatly increase the chances of a lost pet being returned home."