As someone deeply passionate about reuniting lost pets with their owners, it is with a heavy heart that I propose this critical change. It's heartbreaking to watch pet owners mourn without closure simply because state officials lack the means to identify deceased pets. Currently, instead of a dignified closure, many lost pets in Maryland are brought unceremoniously to the dump leaving their owners in anguish. 

In a world where every smartphone boasts around $150 to $200 in cost, it is an insult to our collective conscience as a society that the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) does not invest in $200 scanners. These scanners can change the entire scenario by connecting deceased pets to their owners, giving those owners the consolation of closure.

Tragically, nearly 10 million pets become lost each year in the US, and without identification, 90% of them never return home (source: American Humane Association). Utilizing microchip technology would drastically improve these numbers.

We must urge our local and county employees, especially those of the MDOT, to scan deceased domestic animals for microchips, allowing them to be taken to local shelters or the owners informed. This humane change would save many grieving pet owners additional pain and provide much-needed closure.

Sign this petition to call on the Maryland state officials to adopt this practice immediately, and bring some solace to the bereaved pet owners of our community.