Celebrate National Microchipping Month in May with 5 Reasons to Microchip Your Pet
There’s almost nothing more stressful than losing a pet. No one intends to have their cat or dog go missing, but unfortunately it happens all the time. In the event your pet escapes the yard or breaks off his leash, you’ll want him to have a microchip.
What Is a Pet Microchip?
A pet microchip is an encapsulated computer chip (about the size of a grain of rice) that holds an identifying number. This identifying number is registered in a secure database along with the pet owner’s contact information. When a missing pet’s chip is scanned, the number is read, searched in the database, and the owner is contacted.
5 Reasons Why We Recommend Microchips for All Cats and Dogs
1. Tags Are Unreliable
ID tags with owner contact information attached to your pet’s collar simply aren’t reliable. They fall off and wear out, becoming unreadable, all the time.
2. Indisputable Proof of Ownership
Microchips provide unquestionable proof of ownership. If your pet is stolen, she can’t speak for herself to tell authorities who her true family is, but a microchip can.
3. Increase the Chance of Reuniting with a Lost Pet
According to a study cited by the AVMA:
- 21.9% of dogs without microchips were returned to their owners, compared to 52.2% of dogs with microchips.
- 1.8% of cats without microchips were reunited with their owners, compared to 38.5% of cats with microchips.
According to another study, dogs with microchips are 2.5 times more likely to be reunited with their owners, and cats with microchips are 20 times more likely to return home.
4. Safe and Simple to Use
Microchips are completely safe for pets. Having one inserted is a quick and almost painless procedure that’s similar to getting a vaccination.
5. Permanent Solution to Identification
Microchips provide a permanent, life-long solution to identifying your pet. One microchip will last a lifetime. To make sure it’s effective, you’ll need to be sure to keep your current contact information registered in the national database.
Schedule a Microchipping Appointment for Your Woodland Park Pet
If you’re still relying on outdated collar ID tags for your pet’s safety, we strongly recommend getting a microchip for your pet. We all cherish our pets and do everything we can to keep them safe, but they can still get lost or stolen. To improve the odds that your pet will be safely returned, schedule a microchipping appointment with Compassion Animal Hospital. We’ll microchip your pet and provide you with instructions to register your contact information in the national microchipping database.
