Microchips
Pets get away from their owners under a variety of circumstances – they climb over or crawl under fences or run out open doors in their quest for a little freedom (or to chase the squirrel in the yard). While ever pet should wear and collar with identification tag at all times, they often lose collars and tags when running loose. In addition, in an emergency situation, such as a natural disaster, you can’t always get to your home to remove your pets. If pets are rescued from your home during a disaster situation (flood, tornado, etc.), you need to be able to identify them. Since dogs and cats often look very much alike, having a form of permanent identification makes the process of connecting your pet back to you much easier.
A microchip is a permanent source of identification for your dog or cat. Approximately 10 millions pets are separated from their owners every year for a variety of reasons. The majority of animals that arrive as strays at shelters do not have collars or tags. Only 10% of the pets without identification are returned to their owners. Over 90% of those with microchips are returned to their owners.
What is a Microchip? A microchip is a tiny micro-electronic device (the chip) that is imbedded in a sterile capsule about the size of a grain of rice. Each chip is coded with a specific series of letters and/or numbers that are unique to that chip. This identification code is the only information contained on the chip. This number can not be changed. The chip is read by a scanner that generates a low energy radio signal that energizes the chip to transmit its unique number. The scanner is moved over the pet’s body. When it finds a microchip, the number comes up on the screen of the scanner. The majority of scanners currently in use are able to read a chip from other manufacturers.
The chip is injected under the skin between the shoulder blades of the pet. The implantation takes less than a minute to perform with very little pain to the pet. Anesthesia is not necessary.
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