Two cats accidentally buried due to a broken chip reader, but the municipality has a solution: “Ordered a larger chest freezer” (Zoersel)

Two cats that had been killed were accidentally buried due to a broken municipal chip reader. The municipality of Zoersel expresses mea culpa and has worked out a solution so that it cannot happen again.

Recently, two run-over cats that had been collected by municipal services were buried. The chip reader found no chip. Afterwards someone recognized his missing ginger cat. The animals were exhumed again and identified. It turned out that the municipality’s chip reader was broken. The non-profit organization that Zoersel collaborates with for the stray cat policy was not amused and felt that she should have been contacted herself.

During the Zoersel municipal council, Alderman Luc Kennis (CD&V) explained how this could have happened in response to a question from councilor Wouter Bollansée (Vlaams Belang). According to Bollansée, due to the GDPR legislation, not all chips are still readable by the municipality and police, but only people from a stray cat non-profit organization and veterinarians could do this.

Alderman Kennis regrets the fuss that has arisen. “Our people are not obliged to do this, it is not the responsibility of the municipality. But they do this to do good and help. The new chip reader that we ordered can indeed read all data. We have also ordered a larger chest freezer in which the carcasses of dead cats and dogs that our technical service people will load can be stored for longer. Even without a chip, owners who ask after a few days whether we have picked up their dog or cat can still come and pick up their pet. Previously we did not have much space and the carcasses were sometimes kept in a cool room, but we are now better equipped with that chest freezer.”

“We have ordered a larger chest freezer in which the carcasses of collected dead cats and dogs can be stored for longer”

Luc Kennis (CD&V)

Ships

The municipality has so far relied on one veterinarian. “We are now going to work with a veterinarian in each sub-municipality that people can go to. This new system will be communicated in detail later via our channels.” (kma)