Microchip

 Microchipping is a permanent pet identification system that is safe, simple and effective and is designed to quickly identify lost pets and reunite them with their owners. Microchips are a proven way to successfully recover your pet if it should become lost. Hundreds of thousands of lost pets have been reunited with their owners thanks to microchip recovery services. No bigger than a grain of rice, the microchip is a transponder that contains a unique ID code. It requires no battery and remains active for the entire length of the pet’s life. Microchips are safe for dogs and cats of all breeds and ages. It is safe for puppies and kittens, as well as older pets who may wander away from home.  Over 10 million pets become lost each year. One out of every 3 pets is lost during its lifetime, and only one in 10 pets is found. The microchip is injected by a Veterinarian or Technician under the skin and in between the shoulder blades and only takes seconds to place. 

Once your pet has a microchip, your pet must be enrolled in a national animal recovery database in order for you to be notified if your pet is recovered from being lost or stolen.

1-800-252-7894	1-866-PET-ID24 (1-866-738-4324)
1-877-PET-LINK (1-877-738-5465)	1-800-336-2843
1-866-597-2424

Thousands of Veterinarians, Animal clinics and shelters use a hand-held scanner to scan lost pets, however if a pet is not enrolled in a recovery system, recovery of the pet to the proper owner is far more difficult if not impossible.  Every recovery database operates under different enrollment options. So be aware of the database's policies and the recovery process for the microchip used for your pet.

 For example: Pets microchipped here at the Animal Health Clinic are registered with the AKC Companion Animal Recovery System.  It is a one time lifetime registration (meaning no annual renewal fees) and any pet lost or found can be reported by visiting their website (listed above) or by calling their recovery hotline 1-800-252-7894.

  Each microchip identifies your pet with a specific identification number that is unique even between the different databases.  Below are links to many of the Recovery Databases currently used.

REMEMBER:
Be sure to check with ALL the databases when check for a pets registration. 
Just because a microchip is manufactured by a company DOES NOT MEAN the pet was registered with them.