After 2 decades of use, millions of animals have been microchipped.
There is no way to predict which animals may become separated from their owners. But, microchips can allow your family to be reunited in case of a natural disaster, theft or other possible means of loss.
Benefits of using the microchip include:
- Reduce the anguish and stress-related health issues for the lost pet.
- Reduce the anguish of the owner.
- Reduce confusion regarding unclaimed animals.
- Reduce the amount of time an animal must remain under the care of rescue personnel.
- Reduce the need to transport lost animals to alternate or remote shelters.
- Reduce the cost of lengthy impounding
- Enable all rescue responders from anywhere in the country, who may deal with your lost pet, to have a consistent means of unique identification and access to chip registration information.
Nationwide 24-hour Microchip Call Centers are available to reunite registered pets with their owners: http://www.24petwatch.com/index.asp
The American Microchip Advisory Council for Animals has released an Emergency Management Guide for Microchip Procedures:
http://amacausa.org/
Frequently Asked Questions
How are the microchips administered to my pet?
Developed by a veterinarian, the AVID® microchip is safe, permanent and takes only seconds to administer, like a vaccination. The tiny injectable "chip" contains a one-of-a-kind identification number and is recognized worldwide.
A special scanner is used to read the microchip through the skin of the animal. The animal feels nothing as the chip's number quickly appears in the scanner's viewing window. With a phone call, the registered chip can be traced back to the purchaser if necessary.
How long do microchips last? Do they ever need to be replaced?
Microchips are designed to last the lifetime of a pet—a chip typically lasts at least 25 years. Chips do not need replacing. Once the microchip is implanted, it will remain active for the life of the pet.
What else can I do to ensure that my pet will be returned should he or she become lost?
All pets should wear identification tags at all times. Tags should include a local contact number, as well as a number for a friend or out-of-town relative. Proper identification tags are your pet's first ticket home if he becomes lost. Microchips provide an important extra level of protection in the event your pet becomes separated from his collar and tags. Providing your pet with both tags and a microchip can help ensure a happy reunion if the unthinkable happens: your beloved pet gets lost.
White Oaks West Animal Hospital administers the original "AVID" Microchips: http://avidmicrochip.com/
The Sangamon County Animal Control and the Animal Protective League utilize "Home Again" Microchips: http://www.homeagainid.com/
Both "AVID" and "Home Again" microchips can be identified using the same scanner.
Below is a news article with a happy ending showing the benefit of microchipping your pet.
Cat Lost in Florida Is Found in California
.c The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - When workers at San Francisco's Department of Animal Care and Control located the owner of a newly arrived stray cat three weeks ago, they couldn't believe what they found: the cat belonged to a woman in Bradenton, Fla. - 3,000 miles away.
Florida resident Pamela Edwards had adopted the black, short-haired cat in the summer of 1997, naming it Cheyenne. Just a few months later, Cheyenne disappeared. Edwards hung flyers and ran ads in the local paper to try to locate the cat, but had no luck.
Earlier this month, she received a call from her local shelter: Cheyenne had been found, in San Francisco.
``I figured, there's no way that's my Cheyenne,'' Edwards said. ``I told them, 'I had a cat named Cheyenne, but I've never lived in San Francisco.'''
Cheyenne was dropped off at Animal Care and Control on April 1 after someone found her wandering down a San Francisco street. After scanning her for a microchip and finding she had been lost in Florida seven years ago, they wondered if it was a joke.
``Maybe she came here on vacation because she wanted to see the Wine Country, and decided to stick around because it's not so muggy,'' said Deb Campbell, spokeswoman for Animal Care and Control.
Authorities at Animal Care and Control believe that a former neighbor of Edwards' probably found the cat, decided to keep her and then moved to San Francisco.
No one has contacted Animal Care and Control claiming to be Cheyenne's owner. And because the microchip identifies Edwards as the owner, she retains legal rights to the cat, Campbell said.
The animal shelter in Florida where Edwards adopted Cheyenne was among the first in that state to microchip its animals, said shelter director Keith Pratt.
