Oxford Police Share the City’s Soft Spot for Pets

In Oxford, residents have joined forces with the Oxford Police Department to ensure the safety and well-being of the city’s pets.

OPD regularly uses its popular social media pages to post about lost animals, and the department’s thousands of followers often repost the information to help get the word out.

“It’s not daily, but it’s probably something that happens once or twice a week… you know you hate to see it but you’re glad that people are aware of it enough and reach out to us and ask if we can share things … its definitely one of the cooler parts of [the job] being able to help someone like that,” OPD Public Information Officer Breck Jones said.

According to Jones, Oxford is a tight-knit community where residents genuinely care about each other’s pets.

“We get 20-30 shares almost instantly—everyone wants to share a lost pet and help out. We live in a very giving community with a lot of people who want to be involved and help each other out, and its really cool to be a part of, we’re really fortunate to be in this city and we love it here,” Jones said.

Reposting on social media is indeed helpful, but Charlotte Kisner, the general manager of Pampered Paws Animal Resort and Hospital, says there are more proactive measures you can take to safeguard your pets.

“For cats and dogs, I recommend a microchip. They’re about the size of a grain of rice, and are inserted between their shoulder blades using a needle,” Kisner said. “If someone finds them, a quick scan will help trace them back to your contact information.”

Kisner also urges pet owners to keep their animals on a leash when out in public, with a collar featuring your contact information. This helps ensure their safe return if they happen to slip away.