August 15 is National Check the Chip Day! Are microchips really important for our pets? What if they are in the house or kept in a fenced yard?
Facts:
A family pet is lost every two seconds.
One out of three pets are lost in their lifetime.
Only one in ten pets are found and returned home.
Microchipping does make a difference! Microchipped dogs are 2.5 times more likely to be returned. Microchipped cats are 21.4 times more likely to be returned.
Why do microchips fail?
The number one failure is the pet is not microchipped. It is a simple procedure. The chip is placed between the shoulder blades, just under the skin, with a needle. Placement is usually done while the animal is awake – it doesn’t require sedation or anesthesia. Light sedatives may be used, but aren’t generally required. Microchipping can be done while another procedure is being completed, such as a surgery or dentistry cleaning.
The second part is that the microchip requires you, as the pet parent, to register your microchip with your personal information. If you change your phone number or move locations, then you need to update the information. When a lost pet arrives at the office, the microchip is checked and matched to the microchip information on the national file. Finding that your phone number is invalid and the address is incorrect produces great frustration. Because it is sensitive personal information, it is imperative that you as pet parent monitor this file.
National Check the Chip Day is a reminder to microchip your pet and update your information in the national registry. Such vigilance will help your pet be quickly returned to you when located.
