Chip readers at MOL stations help reunite 121 dogs with owners

(Photo by Pixabay)

MOL began its cooperation with the Vigyél Haza Alapítvány (Take Me Home Foundation) in May, widening the scope of the project to the whole country, which was needed as 9 out of 10 dogs go astray in the countryside, according to the press release.

The readers are able to decipher data in the stray animalʼs microchip, making a return to its owners possible. Those animals which could not be identified because of the lack of a microchip are either adopted by the foundation or taken to a shelter.

"Our 450 gas stations are dog-friendly, so the presence of four-legged pets is not unusual for us," said András Orosz, head of retail at MOL Hungary. "However, even we were surprised at how much lost dogs needed help over the course of three months. Luckily, nearly all microchip-equipped dogs identified at MOL stations got back to their owners, much to the delight of everyone."

Currently about 1.5 million microchip-equipped dogs live in Hungary, according to the Hungarian Veterinary Chamber. Through the initiative of the Take Me Home Foundation, together with MOL, there are a total of 124 locations across the country serving the purpose of helping stray dogs. The location of the chip readers can be found using the foundationʼs app.