Every dog has her own special markings and tricks; every cat has his own personality and favorite toy.  Their little quirks are what make our pets so special to us, and part of why it’s so scary when little Barkley gets lost without his squeaky toy/asthma medication/favorite bone.

Luckily, microchipping can help!

When animal shelters find a lost pet without ID, the first thing they do is check to see if the animal has a microchip. Unlike collars and tags, which can fall off before the animal is found, microchips are with your pet for life.

“But wait,” you ask, “how does it work?”

When you adopt a cat or dog from a shelter, he or she will usually come pre-chipped and ready to register. Some veterinarians and rescues will chip their animals, too. If you’re not sure whether FooFoo has a microchip, your veterinarian will be able to check  by scanning him with a universal scanner and can help microchip your pet if needed. Each microchip contains a unique ID number that belongs to your pet alone…when shelters find a pet, they will scan his chip and search for that number in a registry database. The most important thing you can do is keep your pet’s registry info updated so whoever finds him will be able to contact you! I use a little acronym to remember what to do:

RUNT

REGISTER  your pet’s microchip number in a database. There are many microchip databases you can use to register your pet, corresponding to the various chip manufacturers. Whoever chipped your pet will know which manufacturer made your chip, and many databases accept multiple chip types. The Found Animals Microchip Registry is completely free, and accepts any brand of microchip.  Whichever registry you use, be sure to include your current contact information and anything the shelters should know about your pet if they find her, such as medications, allergies, or temperament. You can even add photos!

UPDATE  your registry info if anything changes. If you just got a brand new cell phone for the holidays, make sure to update your phone number in the registry so whoever finds your pet can call the right line. If you move or change your email address, update that as well. Some registries even let you add emergency contacts. The more info you include, the easier it will be to reach you.

NOTIFY  others if your pet is missing. Flyers with a photo of your pet can be a big help if a neighbor finds the animal. There are plenty of great examples online that can help you get started; include a description of your pet, and a way for people to contact you if they find him. You can also call or visit local shelters to see if he’s turned up – who knows, you might find him and adopt a new friend while you’re at it!

TELL your friends and family about the importance of pet microchipping. Lost pets that turn up at the shelter only have a 13% chance of making it home if they’re not microchipped…with a chip, the likelihood they’ll be reunited with their families increases to 75%! That means it’s almost six times more likely they’ll make it home if they’re microchipped. Since one out of every three pets will get lost at some point in his life, it’s very likely that a pet you know will go missing at least temporarily. The most important thing we can do to get them home is to microchip them and make registry updates a part of our ongoing pet care routine.

To learn more about how microchips work, or to register your pet’s microchip today, visit the Found Animals Microchip Registry .

pet identification    pet microchip