Last Saturday, the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office partnered with local dog rescue organizations to offer a free microchip clinic to locals, giving them a chance to make sure their family dog would be able to find their way back home in case they got lost. 

Johnny Bracey, the president of Red Road Rescue, Inc., a local 501(c)(3) dog rescue organization, said that the microchip clinic began at 10 a.m. and had gone well, with no issues at all as Thomas County locals lined up at the Thomas County Health Department.

“It went great,” he said. “It went fantastically. No problems whatsoever.”

Alongside other rescue organizations, such as Just Jacks Rescue, Inc., Bracey said that they provided over 200 microchips for dogs in the local area throughout the clinic. 

“The last count I had was somewhere between 225 and 250,” he said. “It was busy, we had traffic backed all the way up to Broad St.”

Having been a part of providing the equipment to the Sheriff’s Office, Bracey said that they also provided pet oxygen masks to the local fire department. 

“Not only have we provided infrared thermometers and microchip readers to the Sheriff’s Department, we have also provided pet oxygen masks to the Thomas County Fire Department,” he said. 

According to Bracey, Red Road Rescue, Inc. also organizes a community outreach program for pets, which provides free dog food for less financially stable families. 

“With our Community Outreach Pets program, we provide free dog food for over 100 dogs in Thomasville and Thomas County that belong to people who may have to make the choice of whether to buy dog food for their dog or food for their family,” he said. “This program helps with pet retention so folks do not abandon their dog because they can no longer afford to feed it.”

In regards to the microchip clinic, Bracey said that they will be holding another clinic for Thomas County on March 18 at the Thomas County Health Department on 484 Smith Ave.

“We’re going to be doing it again on the 18th,” he said.