A new initiative in the Hampton Roads area aims to improve the chances of lost pets being reunited with their owners during times when local shelters are closed. The Reunite Tonight Project, a nonprofit organization, has installed microchip scanning stations that remain accessible around the clock, providing an alternative way to quickly identify and return lost animals.

Founded by Megan Baker, the group also offers free microchipping services and educational courses on the use and importance of microchips—small electronic devices implanted under an animal’s skin containing an identification number linked to the owner’s contact information. When a lost pet is brought to one of these stations, the chip can be scanned to facilitate a swift reunion.

Baker was inspired to start the project after encountering a lost cat that could not be scanned until shelters reopened the following day. “Wouldn’t it have been so cool if we didn’t have to wait and could have just taken this cat to a scanner?” she recalled. Though the cat’s microchip was registered to the rescue organization, the adopter’s contact details had not been updated, which delayed reunification. After several hours, the cat was reunited with its family.

Currently, two scanning stations have been installed—one outside the Chesapeake Humane Society Adoption Center and another at the Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Both stations are free to use 24/7 and include instructional signage. The nonprofit’s website lists their exact locations.

Baker explained that many animal control offices and veterinary clinics close during evenings and weekends or are frequently understaffed, limiting their availability to assist with lost pets. She also emphasized that the project does not replace animal control services or facilitate animal surrender. “The shelter stations are not drop-off locations,” Baker said, noting owners should contact shelters directly for those needs.

The cost to install each scanning station is approximately $800, a financial burden the organization absorbs to avoid diverting funds from shelter operations. The stations also serve as a resource for pet owners to verify that their pets’ microchip registration information is current—a frequent challenge, especially among military families who move often.

In addition to the scanning stations, Reunite Tonight offers free educational courses that inform participants about what to do if they lose or find a pet and cover the legal aspects of lost and found animals. Upon completion, the nonprofit pays for microchipping participants’ pets.

Baker highlighted a common issue shelters face: many pets either lack microchips or have outdated registration details, which limits the effectiveness of microchip technology. The organization’s goal is to establish at least one scanning station in each of the seven cities comprising Hampton Roads, with plans to expand to rescues and shelters elsewhere, including interest from northeastern North Carolina.

“We’re open to really anybody that asks,” Baker said. “Our whole thing is that the shelters and rescues don’t have to pay for these stations, because the last thing we want to do is take any of their funds away from the animals.”