DON’T BE LOST WITHOUT YOUR PET, HELP YOUR PET FROM GETTING LOST
DON’T BE LOST WITHOUT YOUR PET, HELP YOUR PET FROM GETTING LOST
One out of three pets will get lost at some time throughout their lives. You may understand the anxieties a pet owner experiences if you yourself have lost a pet. Some would agree that our pets are our children. One way to make sure you never have to experience this is to have your pet micro-chipped. Having a collar and tags imprinted with the pet’s name and phone number may not always be enough to make sure a lost pet returns home. Collars can slip off and tags get old and worn, making them impossible to read. For a small investment you may want to consider getting your pet microchipped. The procedure is simple with no anesthetic required. The procedure is very similar to giving your pet a vaccine or a shot. The procedure is performed at your veterinarian’s office and is similar to administering a vaccine or routine shot. The microchip comes preloaded in a sterile applicator and is injected under the loose skin between the shoulder blades. The process takes only a few seconds and your pet will not react any more than he would to a vaccination. The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and does not require a power source. A microchip scanner is used to transmit an ID number which is used to identify the owner. Microchips are composed of biocompatible materials which will not degenerate over time and should last the lifetime of your pet. Microchips also have an anti-migration feature to ensure the chip stays in place. If you are worried and want to check if your pets microchip is still in place and working you can ask your vet to check it on your next visit. The average cost is around $40 and it can be implanted by your veterinarian or at some pet stores which offer the services of traveling animal clinics. It is a one-time fee and most microchips include free registration in a pet recovery database. If your pet should get lost and taken to a shelter, the staff will scan for a microchip and contact you using the information you have provided. For this reason you need to make sure all contact information is updated. If your pet is adopted from a private party or shelter it may already be microchipped. You should contact the previous owner or shelter for that information and register your pet as soon as possible. Dogs owners are not the only ones this service is offered to, cats can be microchipped as well. Cats can be very independent and many do not wear collars. If something should happen to your cat make sure you can be contacted by having your cat microchipped. The Michelson Found Animals Foundation, a non-profit organization offering services such as pet adoption, spay/neuter, and micro-chipping/registration offers free registration for pets that have already been microchipped.
To register your animal for free go to:
www.foundanimals.org/microchip-registry/owners
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