[00:00:04]
HI, THIS IS PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG.
I'M HERE AT THE EAST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARY WITH MY FRIEND DIEGO AND HIS CHIHUAHUA LITTLE, AND ALSO MY OLD FRIEND RHETT, UH, WHO HELPS US WITH JEFFERSON PARISH THINGS A LOT.
IT'S AN EXCITING DAY BECAUSE TODAY WE'RE INTRODUCING OUR NEW PET MICROCHIP SCANNING STATIONS, AND I REALLY WANNA CONGRATULATE OUR DIRECTORS, MICHELLE BRINA, FROM OUR, OUR J PS DIRECTOR, OUR JEFFERSON PROTECTION AND ANIMAL WELFARE SENT SERVICES.
AND ALSO, UM, JESSICA TYRONS IS OUR LIBRARY DIRECTOR.
THIS IS A REAL NEXT LEVEL INITIATIVE.
WE HAVE 43 DEPARTMENTS IN JEFFERSON PARISH, AND THEY'RE ALL SO BUSY, BUT WHERE THE CREATIVITY COMES IN AND THE REAL EXCITING THINGS IS WHEN THEY CO-PROGRAM AND WORK ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, THE IDEA IS TO KEEP, UM, PETS WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND OUT OF THE SHELTER.
IT'S DEVASTATING FOR THE OWNERS.
IT'S DEVASTATING FOR THE PETS.
WE HAVE A SET PLACE AND STARTING HERE, WHICH IS THE EAST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARY IS THE FIRST ONE.
WE HAVE 16, SOON TO BE 17 LOCATIONS, AND WE'RE ALL OVER THE PARISH AND US LIBRARIANS.
WE LOVE OUR PETS AND WE LOVE OUR, UH, PATRONS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST A GREAT, UH, THING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, I SOMETIMES YOU'LL HEAR ME SAY IT'S NOT ABOUT COLLECTIONS, BUT CONNECTIONS.
THIS IS ANOTHER CONNECTION WE MAKE TO RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR RESIDENTS.
AND THIS WAY PEOPLE CAN, CAN GET THESE PET THEIR PETS REUNITED WITH THEM FASTER.
THE PETS CAN GET REUNITED WITH THEIR PARENTS FASTER.
WE HAVE THESE MICROCHIP SCANNING STATIONS OUT.
UM, WHAT WE ALSO WANT IS PEOPLE TO GET THEIR PETS CHIPPED.
AND SO TO ENTICE THEM TO DO THAT, WE'RE HOPING THAT OFFERING FREE CHIPPING, WE'LL GET THEM OUT HERE, GET THEM CHIPPED SO THAT IF ANYTHING WERE TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, THEY KNOW THAT THEIR PET WOULD GET BACK TO THEM.
AND IT'S JUST ONE MORE SERVICE THAT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO OFFER TO, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY.
IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHO THE PET GOES TO, THEN IT NEVER ENDS UP IN ONE OF OUR SHELTERS.
YOU COULD ALWAYS FIND A PET, BRING IT HERE, SCAN IT, AND THEN GET IT SUCH TO THE OWNER AND LET 'EM KNOW IT'S SAFE.
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE FOR US TO MEET AND, UM, AND GET 'EM HOME QUICKLY? BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A VERY, UM, STRESSFUL TIME WHEN YOU, UH, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LIKE, THEY'RE YOUR KIDS BASICALLY.
AND SO NOT KNOWING WHERE THEY ARE OR IF THEY'RE SAFE OR WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THEM IS TERRIFYING.
DIEGO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE TO LOSE LITTLE AND SOMEBODY WERE TO FIND HIM IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO JUST DRIVE RIGHT UP HERE AND SCAN BECAUSE YOU, HE, YOU JUST GOT YOUR PETS TAGGED, RIGHT? YOU JUST GOT IT IN THERE INSERTED.
IT'S A LITTLE SHOT THEY GIVE LITTLE, AND YOU, THEY'D BE ABLE TO SCAN IT RIGHT HERE AT THIS STATION AND BE ABLE TO GET HIM BACK TO YOU AT HOME VERY QUICKLY.
REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEXT GREAT NEXT LEVEL, UM, INITIATIVE BROUGHT TO YOU BY OUR J PAWS AND OUR JEFFERSON PARISH LIBRARY.