Microchipping is safe, simple, and affordable. A microchip is a tiny chip injected with a needle under the skin and between the shoulder blades. All microchips have unique numbers and they are easy to scan. I believe all responsible owners should consider microchipping their pets.
According to the AVMA, microchipped dogs are more than twice likely to be returned, and cats are more than 20 times more likely to be returned to their owners.
Some of the benefits of microchipping are:
- It will permanently be implanted in your pet and not fall off like collars or tags.
- It will help find your pet, even if your pet crosses states. For example, pets have been found around 200 miles away from home.
- It helps to reunite pets with their human mom and dad.
- It can be inserted in a young pet under anesthesia after the pet is spayed or neutered.
- If properly registered and has updated information, it can act as proof of ownership.
As a veterinarian, I have seen many microchipped pets reunited with their families. Last December, two cats were found in the streets and brought to my clinic. We scanned them and found two registered numbers on their microchips. Then, we called the national database to get the information about their owners. Both pets were less than an hour away from their homes and lost for about a month. That day, I was able to help reunite two felines with their families. The pets and owners were so happy to be together again.
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