How will your pet be identified if he ever strays from home and gets lost? Collars and tags can easily become displaced when a dog is on the move, therefore it’s important to take steps to ensure important owner contact information can be found if your dog or other pet becomes lost. If the lost animals are found and owners cannot be reached, these precious pets eventually end up in animal shelters. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of the animals reported lost are ever reunited with their owners.

Microchipping is one way to ensure your pet can be identified when he is found. Microchips are the size of a grain of rice. They are implanted by a veterinarian in a simple procedure that does not require anesthesia. Microchip costs vary by practice, but most average around $50. Microchips aren’t just for dogs- cats, horses, and most other mammals can be microchipped.

It’s important to realize that microchips work when the lost pet is taken to a veterinarian’s office or shelter so the chip can be scanned. Its registration number is then located in the company’s database where the owner’s contact information is found. It’s very important to ensure your microchip registration information is accurate and up-to-date!

Contact your vet for more information about microchips and the companies used in your area, and don’t forget, microchipping is just one way to help keep your pet safe. Identification tags are a must!

Here are some additional resources on the benefits of microchipping your pets:

Should you microchip your dog? from Cesar Milan

Microchipping your dog or cat from WebMD

What are the advantages of microchips? from Petfinder

Identifying lost pets with microchips from The Humane Society

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