Norfolk Gets its First Microchip Scan Station Courtesy of The Reunite Tonight Project, PETA 

For Immediate Release:
August 13, 2026

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-732

In a move that will spare lost animals and their worried guardians additional hours of fear and uncertainty, local nonprofit the Reunite Tonight Project has teamed up with PETA to install Norfolk’s first-ever community microchip scan station outside PETA’s Sam Simon Center on Front Street. The publicly accessible station—made possible by a generous anonymous donor—gives good Samaritans a cost-free and simple way to help reunite lost animals with their families, 24/7.

Using the station’s built-in scanner, anyone who finds a lost animal can quickly scan over the animal’s shoulder blades and down their back for a microchip and access a QR code linking to a search tool that identifies the appropriate microchip registry. The registry then contacts the animal’s guardian directly, helping reconnect families while keeping personal information secure. Founded by husband-and-wife team Megan and Greg Baker, the Reunite Tonight Project has now installed three of the free, publicly accessible stations in the Hampton Roads area, including at Chesapeake Humane Society and Virginia Beach SPCA, and has plans for more.

                                                            Credit: PETA

“Lost dogs and cats are often terrified, confused, and desperately trying to find their way back to the people they love and who love them, so every hour that goes by can add to their fear and anxiety,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “Thanks to Reunite Tonight, the new microchip station at PETA’s headquarters will give kind people a simple tool to help animals get back to their families faster, while reducing the burden on local shelters and animal control agencies.”

Anyone who finds a lost dog or cat should safely secure the animal, check for identification tags, and take advantage of a microchip scan station to help get them home as soon as possible. If the dog or cat appears to be neglected or abused, contact local authorities—and if they’re unresponsive, call PETA.

To help keep animals safe, PETA urges guardians to have their animal companions microchipped, to keep their contact information up to date, and to never leave them outdoors without supervision. Microchipping is simply an additional safeguard—not a substitute for keeping animals protected indoors and with secure identification tags. Guardians can also consider using a collar with a GPS tracker, like those made by Fi and Tractive, for added security.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.