Microchips have become an essential way to keep track of your pet in case they accidentally turn up missing. Though there’s been some controversy surrounding chips in more recent years, it seems to be the easiest and most effective way to locate a lost or unidentified animal.
Upon escaping a yard, dogs might remove a collar that’s been adorned with their ID tags. If they’re ever picked up by your local animal control center, or a good samaritan, the first step is to check the animal for a chip. Most animal services departments have a very sophisticated database for tracking the animal’s chipset back to you, even if it was not registered to an owner address.
Many rescue groups will implant their residents with a microchip that will lead back to that rescue’s location. From there, they’re able to locate files on the dog. This extensive process allows them to return the animal to whomever it was originally adopted out to. Reputable dog breeders have also begun implementing this technique so that they’re able to effectively get dogs they’ve homed back to their rightful owners.
Aside from the expanded network that has been developed over time for microchipping services, there are other advantages to having an animal chipped. They do not require a battery and therefore can be located within the pet through a specialized scanner. This scanner is housed regularly at local shelters and vets offices. Animals that have been adorned with a chipset have been relocated back to their pet parents from thousands of miles away.
Though more popular systems have come into play, such as K9 GPS units, these systems both rely on a battery and or being attached to the animal via a collar. This means that the battery can die and not send a signal based on the known location of your pet, or the pet may have dislodged the collar (or tracking unit) during its lofty travels. Microchip units are small, pill sized, trackers that are injected subdermally into your dog. Though they may travel upward or downward from the original injection site, the device is not leaving your dog in an easy fashion. This is what makes microchips the most reliable form of pet locators thus far.
If you’re ever considering whether or not to get your companion implanted with a chip, simply consider the information above.
Being avid advocates for happy homes and pets, we always want to share the best information with our clients. After all, we are all about maintaining a healthy bond and relationship between dog and handler. We always want to be sure best friends make it back home again.
