A microchip is a tiny device that provides your pet with a permanent identification code to give them the best chance of coming home. Placed by a veterinarian, and about the size of a grain of rice (12mm), it sits beneath the loose skin between your pet’s shoulder blades. Microchip placement is similar to an injection, only takes a few seconds, and does not require anesthesia.
If you’ve adopted your pet from a shelter, they probably have already had a chip placed that may need to be registered to you, their new owner. You can bring them to be scanned and get the ID code from their chip so you can register them with your contact information.
With over 50,000 microchip scanners in circulation in the U.S., virtually all shelters and veterinarians are equipped to instantly read your pet’s ID number. If your pet gets lost and is taken to an animal shelter or veterinarian, they will scan the microchip to read its unique dog or cat ID code. This is the number used by the microchip company to identify the pet and retrieve your contact information, which is used to contact you and reunite you with your pet. The pet recovery service will contact you using the contact information on file with your pet’s microchip.
Register your pet’s microchip in a database, such as the HomeAgain National Pet Recovery Database, with your contact information so you can be contacted when your lost pet is found. Also, remember to keep your contact information up to date whenever you move or change phone numbers.
HomeAgain can be reached at 1-888-HOMEAGAIN or visit their site at homeagain.com.
Have questions about your microchipping your pet? Call us today or contact us online!
