Microchips are a lost pet’s best chance

The American Humane Association reports that over 10 million dogs and cats are either lost or stolen in the United States each year.

Microchipping your pet can dramatically increase the odds that you and your animal friend will be reunited.

A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice, consisting of a tiny computer chip housed in a special type of glass. The chip is implanted under the skin, between the shoulder blades of your pet. A special syringe is used to facilitate this procedure. Most pets do not seem to be traumatized by the process.

Once the microchip is in place, the chip can be detected immediately by a handheld scanner that will display the microchip code. All animal control facilities and most veterinarians have scanners.

Microchips are designed to last for the lifetime of your pet. Rarely, microchips have been known to fall out or migrate to a different location on the animal’s body.

It is vital that you register your dog’s microchip information with the company manufacturing the chip. If you neglect to do this, your pet’s information will not be available to the microchip company and therefore he/she will not be able to be traced back to you.

Certainly being a responsible pet guardian is the best thing you can do to protect your pet. Keep identification tags current because not every person finding your pet will be willing to go through the trouble of taking your animal to be scanned.

Do not let your animals roam free.

Registered microchips are the best chance that lost pets have of returning home.

Angie Lewis is President of Alaska Animal Advocates