The Bloomington Animal Shelter is using new technology to reunite lost pets with their owners.

A self-service microchip scanning station is now open 24 hours outside the animal shelter at 3410 S Walnut St. Station instructions are in English and Spanish.

Emily Herr, Outreach Coordinator for the shelter, said the station will allow people who have found an animal after shelter hours to check if it is a lost pet.

“We often get phone calls into our dispatch after hours from people who have found animals, and unfortunately, there's not a lot we can do unless that animal is sick, injured, or aggressive,” Herr said, adding that this station will ideally be a pilot for future stations throughout the city.

“Not everyone drives or has a ride, so we're trying to make it as accessible as possible,” Herr said. “So, this is kind of our trial to see how it goes. If it's used, if it's helpful, then our goal is to put more out there.”

After a microchip has been scanned, people who have found a lost pet can go to a website provided in the instructions to find the owner.