Pup patrol made easier with donation

The Coal City Police Department will be able to identify lost pets, potentially reuniting them with their owners quicker, thanks to a recent donation by a group of car enthusiasts.
Subies of the Corn NFP, a registered nonprofit, donated microchip readers to both the Coal City and Wilmington Police Departments. These contributions were made in honor of Subaru Loves Pets®, a nationwide initiative dedicated to improving the lives of animals.
The universal handheld microchip readers will allow officers to quickly scan and identify lost pets in the field, even during weekends, holidays, or after business hours when veterinary clinics are closed.
By providing law enforcement the ability to access a pet’s microchip data, lost animals may be reunited with their families faster and more efficiently.
“Getting lost pets back to their families quickly is crucial, and we’re grateful to support our local police departments with tools that help make that easier,” said J. Mykel Hill, president of Subies of the Corn.
This donation came at a critical time, as Fourth of July celebrations can be an incredibly stressful experience for pets.
Loud fireworks and unfamiliar crowds often cause pets to become frightened and run away, leading to a spike in lost animal reports around this time of year. By providing local police departments with microchip readers, Subies of the Corn is helping ensure that lost pets can be quickly scanned, identified, and safely reunited with their families during one of the busiest and most chaotic times for animal shelters and first responders.
Subies of the Corn, also known as "SOTC," originated as a Subaru Enthusiasts Car Club in 2017 and evolved into an Illinois nonprofit corporation in August 2023. SOTC operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity, aligning with the Subaru Love Promise. The organization's core mission is to host enjoyable and charitable events for Subaru enthusiasts in the Chicago Southland area, with the primary aim of benefiting others.
Since its inception in 2017, Subies of the Corn and its dedicated members have raised over $13,000 for local and national charities, collected over 6,400 toys for Toys for Tots, and donated over 1,100 pairs of socks, 250 toiletry kits, 75 drawstring bags, 50 towels, and 50 washcloths to assist those experiencing homelessness.
Subies of the Corn and its members have also collected and donated over 4,100 pounds of food addressing issues of food insecurity and contributed to environmental sustainability by collecting/recycling over 11,000 plastic grocery bags, diverting over 165 pounds of plastic from landfills.
Additional information about Subies of the Corn can be found on their website at https://subiesofthecorn.org.