Micro-chipping is a state-of-the-art version of a collar tag, except that it’s implanted under your pet’s skin, so it can’t be removed or lost. Though collar tags are still a good secondary ID to increase the chance of your pet being returned to you should they go missing, microchipping is a permanent identification. This tiny electronic devise is encased in a glass tube, no larger than a grain of rice. When a scanner is passed over your pet’s coat, the chip transmits an identification number back to the scanner. The ID number is stored in a central database with the pet owner’s phone number and other contact information, so that veterinarians or pet shelters can return missing pets quickly. The microchip does not, however, have GPS capability, so cannot track your pet’s location.
Most animal shelters today scan animals for ID as soon as they are recovered. If a chip is detected, the number is checked against the national registry immediately, and the owner is contacted. If the owner’s information is not in the database, it is then traced back to the manufacturer. That way, the clinic or shelter where the chip was implanted can be discovered, and client records found.
Alliance Animal Hospital uses the SaveThisLife.com microchips. The procedure for implanting is as painless as a normal injection under the skin, and can be done during a regular veterinary visit.
Call to schedule the procedure today.
