10 million pets go missing or stolen each year, according to the American Humane Association. AKC Reuinted reports that 1 in 3 dogs go missing at some point in their lifetime. It is a sad fact that that local animal shelters search desperately for animal’s owner to no avail. In some cases the dogs are even euthanized. The best defense against this is microchipping; both cats and dogs.
In a recent study involving 7,700 stray pets, the number of non-microchipped dogs that were safely returned to their owners was just under 22 %. The dogs with implanted microchips have a 51.2% chance of being reunited with their owners, a near 30% increase over those without.
Microchipping is a one time cost. The microchip is the size of a grain of rice and is inserted into the scruff of her pet just under the skin. This is performed in the same manner as vaccines are given. At this stage, it is important to note that this is not a tracking microchip that can be used to pinpoint a dog’s location. The pet has to be scanned with a microchip wand that will give them the animals identification number. This ID number is used to search the database for the owners contact information (name, address, and phone number). Also, keeping your contact information up to date, is just as important as initial registration. Be sure to contact your microchip company to update phone numbers or addresses when relocating or getting a new phone number.
It’s safer than other forms of identification. If your pet gets lost, he might lose his collar and tags; if your pet is stolen, the thief might remove his collar and tags. With a microchip, you can help people who find your dog find you and if someone else says it’s their dog, you can prove the dog is yours.
There are a few warnings about microchipping that every owner should consider. There are three microchip frequencies commonly used in the U.S. that responded to scanners. There were 125 kHz, 128 kHz, and 134.2 kHz. A microchip that responds to a 125 kHz scanner would not respond to a 134.2kHz scanner. In order to alleviate this problem, universal scanners have been introduced. They are used by most shelters in the country, detecting microchips resonating at any frequency. There are also very rare complications related to implant, such as, infections, abscesses, and hemorrhaging. The latter part of this information is not designated to worry owners, it is merely a statement of fact. In the great majority of cases, microchips have saved lives and kept dogs and their families together without any drawbacks.
At Wagly, we offer Datamar microchips which we register at Petlink. These microchips read at a frequency at 134.2 kHz. Not to mention, microchips are included in our membership plans! You’ll never regret doing it, but if your dog gets lost, you’ll always regret that you didn’t.
Link to Microchip Lookup: