It’s every pet owner’s nightmare: Your beloved companion escapes the house or yard, you search the neighborhood diligently, but you turn up empty-handed. But if you previously made the decision to microchip your pet, your odds of reunification are much improved.
Missing pets are more common than you might think. Studies have shown that one in three pets will go missing at some point in their lives. This can happen to anyone, even the most diligent and educated pet owners. Some things are just out of our control.
Unfortunately, collars can be pulled off. So even if your pet is wearing his collar and tag, that’s no guarantee he will be identified and returned. A microchip, on the other hand, will be there permanently.
Microchips drastically increase the odds of your pet’s return. When an unidentified pet arrives at a veterinarian’s office or shelter, scanning the animal for a microchip is usually the first thing staff members will do.
A survey of 7,700 shelter animals found that only 22 percent of non-chipped dogs were identified and went home. By contrast, 52 percent of those with microchips were reunited with their owners. Only 2 percent of non-chipped cats were claimed, but 38 percent of chipped cats were correctly matched with their original owners.
The contact information attached to your microchip is considered a legal document. If there is ever a dispute over the ownership of your pet, courts will side with the registered party.
Microchipping might even save your pet’s life. Many lost pets are injured during their misadventures, and turn up sick or hurt at shelters or veterinarian offices. If your pet was chipped, you will be quickly contacted so that you can give consent to life-saving emergency treatment.
Some people believe that pet microchips are equipped with GPS tracking abilities. Unfortunately, the technology isn’t quite there yet. So no, you can’t simply track your pet and recover them yourself. However, when scanned, your pet’s microchip number will give a shelter or veterinarian your contact information so that the two of you can be reunited. If you do microchip your pet, make sure to update your contact details whenever they change.
Remember, the decision to microchip must be made now, before your pet goes missing. Don’t wait; contact us today so that we can help you protect your best friend.