Tech News #2

According to PetFinder, over 10 million pets go missing every year, and one in three pets will go missing at some point in their life.

A microchip is a tiny device which contains an ID number tied to unique identifying information about a pet. The size of a grain of rice, this device can be scanned to tie your personal information to an animal. If your pet ever goes missing, this is invaluable if you want them to be returned to you.

Keeping your pet safe with this simple implementation is highly recommended by the American Animal Hospital team!

If only your pet could talk. If only your pet could tell a stranger who finds him on the street his name and where he lives and who his owners are. But, your pet can’t talk, and he can’t tell anyone where he lives if he becomes lost.

Why You Should Microchip Your Pets

A microchip is a simple, tiny (about the size of a grain of rice), and an inexpensive way to give your pet a “voice.” It gives your pet the ability to tell the person who finds him who he is and where he lives. A microchip provides secure, reliable, and permanent identification, which greatly increases the likelihood that your pet, if lost, will be returned home to you.

Why A Microchip Needs To Be Registered

A microchip only does its job if it is registered with up-to-date contact information in a pet recovery database. The same study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association mentioned above also indicated that only 58 percent of microchipped animals in shelters have microchips that are registered in a database with their owner’s contact information. That means that more than 40 percent of the microchipped animals had microchips that were essentially useless.

Statistics On Lost Pets

• More than 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the U.S. every year (an estimation from the American Humane Association).
• One in three pets will become lost at some point during its lifetime.
• About 22 percent of lost dogs that enter animal shelters are reunited with their families, but the rate of return for microchipped dogs is more than 52 percent, which is a 238 percent increase (according to a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association).
• Less than 2 percent of lost cats that enter animal shelters are reunited with their families, but the rate of return for microchipped cats is more than 38 percent, which is a 2,000 percent increase (the same study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association).

If your pet is not microchipped, call our office to set up a quick and simple appointment. If your pet is microchipped and you are unsure about the registration, we can help you determine which database you need to contact.