From the article: Dog and Cat Microchips
Thanks to pet microchips, the small computer chip ID implants used by shelters, rescue groups and veterinarians, thousands of pets have found their way back home. Some pets wandered away and became lost or injured. In some cases, they were stolen from their homes.
Many reunions take place months or years after the pet first went missing. Valid pet identification saves lives. Microchips work when tags fall off or collars are removed. Is your pet microchipped? Why or why not? Please share your opinions and microchip success stories here. Share your story
Microchip
- Yes, my cat is microchipped. I want to give every chance to getting her back if she should get outside. I also want to make sure she doesn't get euthanized before I have a chance to find her. She is 12 and would be one of the first out because of her age I fear. It doesn't cost that much to make sure you get your baby back home where she belongs.
- —Guest Susie
Not microchipped
- As an owner of working dogs, I feel a little uncomfortable with the thought of something potentially "floating" in my dog, especially the shoulder, neck, spine area. I know that chip makers say this doesn't happen, but in the real world it does occasionally happen. As a child, I remember our family always had our dogs tattooed on the inner thigh. Do people do this anymore for id purposes? (I hope no one tattoo's their pet for "artistic" purposes)
- —Zipper99
Microchipped
- Rio & I walk in the neighborhood park every morning & it's sad that neighbors & I often come upon a lost dog or cat; a lot of them w/o a collar ID and/or are not microchipped. However, I did come across a beautiful Chihuahua w/o ID who followed us home one evening. The next morning, I took him to our veterinarian to have him checked for a chip; no chip. So I drove him to our local spca facility & they placed a free Lost Pet ad in our local newspaper. In the meantime, I placed lost pet notices around our neighborhood mail boxes w/phone number of our local spca. About three weeks later, I called the spca to inquire about the lost dog. It was a beautiful day when I was informed that the owner had come in to claim the lost Chihuahua. By the way, Rio is microchipped!
- —Guest Mary F
Importance of keeping info updated
- I have a new 8 week old Bernese Mountain Dog puppy and took her to be microchipped yesterday at the Marin Humane Society. They now upload the registration data directly to Home Again so the owner doesn't need to do it. While that is a great feature it triggered my memory of Dr. Kay's Microchip blog from last summer - http://speakingforspot.com/blog/?p=594. She talks about the importance of (1) registering your info with the chip company and (2) keeping it updated. I wonder if this automatic registration won't make it easier for owners to overlook the need to keep their contact information updated in the microchip database. Having the microchip is half the battle - it is equally important to be sure we can be contacted quickly if our pet should every be found.
- —brrnese
Reuniting Pets With Their Families
- At the veterinary hospital where I work, we have been able to unite at least 6 lost pets with their families in the last year because of the pet's microchip. Any time a lost or stray animal comes through our doors, it a standard procedure to scan for a microchip. In my opinion, it's a good practice to microchip all of your pets. It's sad when we see a lost pet that does not have a microchip and know there is probably a frantic "mom" or "dad" out there looking for him/her and there is no way to locate or contact them.
- —LorieAHuston
Shelter in Aurora, CO offered a happy en
- Lon L. Flewelling As a K9 rescuer and behavior coach in Aurora, CO, I was visiting a shelter looking for someone's lost dog. A control officer shared a story about a walking into his shelter in the kennel area and saw big guy kneeling in front of a kennel crying. He asked if all was ok, the gentleman said the dog in the kennel was his dog. The officer told him it would be ok, ... See Moreafter some paperwork he would be able to take his dog with him. The guy said "You don't understand, I lost him four years ago. Because of his chip you called me to say he was here." Happy ending!
- —Guest Lon L. Flewelling Rescuer/Behavior Coach
Like an insurance policy
- Even if you think your pet will never be outside without you, or unleashed... You never know. It only takes a two second accident and they can be scared and running. The chip is worth every penny.
- —Guest Nancy
I will always micro-chip my pets
- I had never heard of micro-chipping before we took our Redbone Coonhound (aptly named "Drifter") to the county-run low-cost neutering service where they also do the microchip at the same time the dog is neutered. Having lost another dog previously, I was happy to learn about this technology. Now I have a new toy-breed puppy, which I recently had micro-chipped at the local animal shelter where it only costs five dollars and took about 15 minutes. I did also pay the extra small fee to have both dogs put into the international pet registry. Well worth it for the peace of mind... I wish I had known about microchips for pets before we lost our dear Lucy.
- —graphicssoft
