Carey King-Agin is Pasco County’s Ace Ventura.
She doesn’t have big hair, colorful shirts, or act like Jim Carrey, but she can make a pet owner smile.
She is Pasco County Animal Services’ first-ever pet reunification specialist. Thanks to a $35,000 grant from Petco Love, King-Agin is able to search and post lost and found pet websites and social media pages looking for owners looking for or asking for lost pets to the community to help locate animal families. These efforts are necessary when an animal is not microchipped or contact information is outdated.
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PCAS took in more than 3,200 stray dogs and cats in 2022, so this is a position not only justified, but desired by the agency.
“We find that when someone finds a dog or cat on the street, 80% of the time they live near that area, but everyone’s idea is to take them to the shelter, if they can’t not host him or do the research himself,” said King Agin.
“We always scan first (looking for a microchip), and that’s the golden ticket home, but less than 25% of pets are microchipped. So now we will do the ground work and reunite the pets with their families,” she added.
According to PCAS and King-Agin, the agency’s rehoming rates are only 33% for dogs and 17% for cats. Those numbers are why PCAS Deputy Director Spencer Conover reached out to the county to create the position, but it was turned down, as the county receives many requests from its various entities.
However, a grant from Petco Love allowed King-Agin to move into the Land O’ Lakes location to do his diligent detective work.
“I immediately go on social media and there are a ton of groups, and things like NextDoor, Ring and several lost and found groups on Facebook,” King-Agin said.
“I’ll see if the dog or cat is listed on this page,” she continued. “Otherwise, I keep digging. When they’re brought in and integrated into the system, we enter the intersection where they were found, so I then go to Google Maps and mark that intersection and see what subdivisions and neighborhoods are nearby. Many have their own Facebook group, so I see if they have posted anything on their social media.
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“The truth is that one in three pets goes missing in their lifetime, so that’s something I’m very passionate about: bringing that pet back where it belongs.”
King-Agin goes the extra mile if the social media route is a dead end.
She contacts local veterinarians and emails them photos. She speaks to well-known local dog sitters, as well as local dog groomers, understanding that a well-groomed dog is a well-groomed pet.
In the short time King-Agin has been on lost pet cases, she brought home 10 pets by 9/11. However, during the second weekend of September alone, 13 more stray animals were brought in.
PCAS will also use this new position to help educate the community on what they should do if they rescue a stray animal.
The first 48 hours are crucial in the reunification process, whether an animal is brought to the shelter or the searcher is trying to locate the owner, King-Agin said. She encourages the finder, when possible, to keep the animal, in case the owner is looking for the animal or posts information about the animal on social media.
“It’s like they lost a baby or a child because it was a family member,” Conover said. “Bringing them home, that’s the most important part, and it’s amazing to see it and to be able to offer that to Pasco County now.”
“There are no wild dog packs in the county, so all these dogs belong to someone,” he added. “But having someone who is dedicated to going the extra mile, who is dedicated to having someone bring the dogs home, that’s part of the proactive work that we want to be a part of.”
And as a four-time dog owner, King-Agin is passionate about her new position.
She knows how she would feel if one of her animals disappeared.
“I have total OCD about their whereabouts all the time, so I know I would be in a state of frantic disorder if my pet went missing,” she said. “So to be able to do this and reunite an owner with a pet with a family, it’s so rewarding.” It can be incredible and moving.
“I really feel like an animal detective.”
Pasco County Animal Services
Or: 19640 Dogpatch Lane, Land O’Lakes
When: Tuesday to Thursday, noon to 5:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, from noon to 6:30 p.m.
For more information on the services offered by PCAS, visit PascoCountyFl.net/175/Pets-and-Animals
Published on September 20, 2023