Animals are lost for many reasons outside their owner’s control. Animal hospitals, social media groups dedicated to animal recovery, Lost and Found sections are full of unfortunate cases of pets separated from their families. Imagine if that happened to you! You’d want to give them the best chance of safe and prompt reunion. With a microchip, you can.
Microchipping is a safe, permanent way to identify your pet. Not only is it a useful device for a lost pet, but it may also be required for travel, health database or registry. A microchip, which is a tiny device the size and shape of a grain of rice, is placed under the loose skin at the back of the neck. When a lost dog or cat is found, animal care professional will use a handheld microchip scanner to check for a chip. If the pet has one, it will transmit its ID number to the scanner via a low-frequency radio wave. The veterinary hospital or shelter then retrieves the pet owner’s information and contacts the owner.
Even the most responsible pet owners can’t guarantee their pet won’t get lost. A leash could break or slip out of your hand, a pet could push through a screen door or window, storm takes down fences, animal becomes frightened during vehicular accident and runs, or a contractor might accidentally leave a door or gate open.
Pets that have tags with current contact information are more likely to not end up in shelters and tend to get home faster than those without tags. However, collars and ID tags aren’t permanent and can be removed or lost. With a microchip, your Pet will have a much better chance of being identified and returned to you. Pets without microchips that end up in shelters may be adopted out to another family or even euthanized.
Please contact us to schedule an appointment to microchip your pet. We can also do so while the pet is undergoing sedation or anesthetic procedure. Although we hope your pet never becomes lost, we want you to be prepared. We can also suggest a plan to have in place so if your pet does go missing, you’ll be able to act quickly.
*Please note that a microchip is NOT a tracking device! *