August 15th is National Check the Chip Day.  Never heard of it?  Neither had I until recently, but I wholeheartedly support microchipping all pets – dogs, cats, horses, and ferrets alike.  We’ve all seen those touching stories of animals who have been lost for years, ultimately being reunited because of a microchip.  However, according to WebMD, approximately 8 million pets end up in shelters every year, but only 15% of dogs and less than 2% of cats are reclaimed, mainly due to lack of identification.

Microchipping is one way to increase your pet’s chance of making it back home.  But chips are only effective when registered and properly maintained.  Harley’s Hope offered its Because We Care Pet Fair for five years running, offering very low cost microchipping as one of the services offered.  Yet, year after year, we’d get calls from the Humane Society with lost pets whose microchips were still registered to HHF.  Not taking the 5 minutes necessary to register your pet’s chip information is the same as not microchipping them at all.  In fact, only 6 out of 10 microchipped pets are registered!

For those who may be concerned about the process or have heard stories about microchips migrating from the insertion area to other parts of the body, the process is simple, no more painful than drawing blood, and, if inserted in the correct area, will not move.  Others may be worried about insertion site tumors, but that complication is rare.  So, it comes down to deciding what’s more important – ensuring your pet makes it back home if lost, or the small likelihood of a potential complication.

While most animal rescues and shelters now routinely microchip pets prior to adoption, those who have older animals can still get a microchip inserted at any veterinary clinic.  So, if your pet is one of those who is not microchipped, please consider remedying that situation as soon as possible.

For more information on microchipping, please visit https://pets.webmd.com/features/microchipping-your-dog-or-cat#1 or speak to your veterinarian.