Courtesy of Fort Worth's Animal Care and Control Division

FORT WORTH - A low-cost pet license and vaccination clinic is set from 1 to 3 p.m. June 2, 2007 at Lake Como Park, 3401 Lake Como Drive. The clinic is designed to increase the number of pets with current tags and rabies vaccinations.

The annual city pet license usually costs $7, and a rabies vaccination can cost even more. However, in order to increase the number of animals with current identification and protect residents and pets from rabies, Fort Worth's Animal Care and Control Division offers both the license and the three-year rabies vaccination for only $4.

You also can have your pet microchipped for $10. Microchips are tiny, rice-sized computer chips injected under the skin on the pet's shoulder. A unique number - that traces back to the owner - is assigned to each animal. All lost pets are scanned for microchips when they arrive at the city's animal shelter.

Owners of impounded animals with current identification are quickly notified when a pet is lost. However, although all pets in Fort Worth are required to be licensed, less than 1 percent of impounded animals have identification. Animal Care and Control officials believe the lack of identification is the number one reason for high euthanasia rates in animal shelters.

The rabies vaccination also is required for all pets to protect the population from the threat of the deadly rabies virus present in wild animal populations. For additional information, call 817-392-3737.