Microchip scanner donated in White Oak

It will be stored at the municipal building, where it can be accessed at any time of the day.

Gray Paws Sanctuary presented a donation of a pet microchip scanner to the Borough of White Oak during Monday’s council meeting.

The scanner will be stationed in the lobby of the borough municipal building, where it will be accessible to the public 24-7.

Gray Paws Sanctuary, a White Oak-based nonprofit that cares for senior dogs, donated the scanner to the borough to help residents find lost pets.

“We know there’s a lot of lost animals in the area, and they often bring them here, so we wanted to make sure that they could identify the animals if they come into the borough building,” said Dawn Lewis, Gray Paws Sanctuary board vice chair.

Lewis handed the microchip scanner to Mayor Ina Jean Marton, who said it’s something the borough has needed for a long time. Marton expects the scanner will be beneficial to borough residents and police.

“If the officers happen to find a dog, they can take this and scan for the chip and then they can immediately find the owner, which is much easier than somebody going out looking for it,” Marton said. “It’s fabulous because you can find your animal in a matter of minutes instead of days.”

Marton said the microchip scanner is easy to use for pet owners who’ve had their animals chipped. Microchips are typically inserted between an animal’s shoulder blades.

In other business:

• The Heritage Hill Park Playground was renamed David G. Hoffman Memorial Playground in a resolution that passed unanimously. Hoffman, a founding member of White Oak Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, passed away in March 1957 due to injuries he suffered from battling a fire.

• Council accepted the retirement of police Sgt. Robert Loera, which went into effect retroactively July 3.

• A new HVAC system at the White Oak Athletic Association is up and running. Council approved about $82,299 in payments to Reno Bros, Inc. for replacing the HVAC system.