A microchip is a tiny device about the size of a grain of rice that is implanted under the pet’s skin. This is done with a needle, so the process is much like getting an injection. Scanners at veterinary clinics, humane societies and animal shelters across the country can detect these chips and a national registry permits the return of microchipped pets throughout the United States and Canada.
Microchips greatly increase the chances that pets will be reunited with their families if they are lost or stolen…BUT a microchip only works if its registration information is accurate. To remind pet owners to have their pets microchipped and to keep the registration information up-to-date, AVMA and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) joined together to create “Check the Chip Day.”
If you’ve ever moved, or changed phone numbers or other contact information, it’s more than worth the effort to make sure you’ve submitted updated information to your pet’s microchip registry. Even if your contact information hasn’t changed, it’s a good idea to double-check that your correct information is included in the microchip registry.
Checking a chip’s registration information is easy, and can mean the difference between heartbreak and a happy family reunion if you ever get separated from your pet. The American Veterinary Medical Association maintains a website with easy-to-follow instructions at AVMA.org/CheckTheChip.
And if you don’t yet have your pet microchipped, there’s no better time than now. Microchips help reunite families.
