A parade of reluctant pets and pleased pet owners streamed into the Cedar City Room in North Jefferson City Sunday for a reduced-price microchipping event.
Shelter Animal Guardians sponsored the event in conjunction with The Spay Neuter Project in Columbia.
About 80 pets were injected with microchips containing information about the pet and contact information for the owner, in case the pet would become lost. Information often includes the owner's cell number, email and the animal's veterinarian.
Entities such as the Jefferson City Animal Shelter scan incoming pets to determine whether they have a microchip.
"We're trying to help the community save pets from being euthanized," said Linda Laucks, a co-founder of Shelter Animal Guardians.
She formed the organization after her cat was trapped and brought to the local animal shelter, then euthanized.
The cost to pet owners was $10 per animal, half the price normally charged by The Spay Neuter Project, and a fraction of the typical price at veterinarian clinics.
Laucks said it's important for pet owners to register after microchipping their pets, then to update the registration with any new address.
"The benefit of the price reduction is awesome," said Pickett Lee, who brought three of her dogs to the event, including Camilla. "Cami likes to explore sometimes, and we wouldn't want to lose her."
Shelter Animal Guardians was able to subsidize the cost through Pets & Poker Promenade, a fundraiser held earlier this year that netted about $1,500. The organization used 100 percent of the proceeds to lower the cost for this event.
It was the third time the group has had a microchipping event. The first drew 59 pets, 79 the second and 80 this time. The group promoted the event on Facebook.