Those of us with pets consider them to be part of the family, so when they go missing it can be really distressing, especially when they don’t make it home.

With the help of the Blue Cross, SWISCo are helping to reunite microchipped deceased cats and dogs with their owners.

The Blue Cross have donated to the SWISCo Highways Team a scanning device to allow them to check for microchips on any deceased cats or dogs found on Torbay’s roads. If the pet is microchipped the Blue Cross contact the owner to advise them their pet has been found, and can be collected if the owner wishes to do so.

Cats and dogs that are not microchipped are retained by SWISCo for a short period to allow owners time to make contact to ask if their pet has been found.

Cllr, Mike Morey, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture, Torbay Council, said; “Even if it’s bad news, we know that owners would prefer to know what has happened to their pet rather than be left wondering. Each year our SWISCo team collect around 20 pets from the highway, only about a quarter of which are collected by owners, with the help of the Blue Cross we will be able to reunite more owners with pets”.

Microchipping your cat and dog gives you the best chance of getting them back if they go missing. Since 6 April 2016 it has been a legal required that all dogs in England, Scotland and Wales must be microchipped. Further information on microchipping your pet can be found via: www.bluecross.org.uk

If you come across a deceased cat or dog on one of Torbay’s road please contact SWISCo on 01803 701310 or operational.enquiries@swisco.co.uk