Microchipping to Protect Your Pet for Life
The insertion is so easy: it takes about two seconds and most animals hardly flinch or seem aware of it, but it can protect your pet for a lifetime. It’s called a microchip.
A microchip is a tiny electronic chip about the size of a grain of rice. It is injected underneath your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades. The chip is then readable by a scanner that every shelter and veterinarian has. Shelters are required to scan every pet that comes into the shelter.
The scanner will display an identification number that is registered in a national database, which contains your contact information. It’s that simple!
Microchipping works for dogs and cats.
Microchipping is for all pets, even indoor-only cats. What if your kitty got out? Or got away from you during a trip to the vet? Even if your cat wears a collar with ID, they are made to come off if your kitty gets its collar caught (please be sure to always use the breakaway type). The microchip is always there.
All FieldHaven adoptables are microchipped and registered at the time of adoption. The database information is provided so you can update your contact information. It is important to update the database if you move or your phone number changes. Last year, a neighbor of FieldHaven’s found a dog loping down the road with a collar but no ID. We were relieved when we scanned a microchip, but that relief turned to disappointment when the contact information in the database was out-of-date. None of the phone numbers or other contact information was up-to-date, so we were unable to contact the owner.
Dog owners have adopted the microchip idea, but cat owners still seem to be on the fence as to the benefit of chipping their cats. At FieldHaven, we’ve had some experiences that brought happy smiles to several families. Last fall, a FieldHaven volunteer was contacted about a cat wandering around a busy, main street in Roseville. When we scanned the kitty, a chip was found and through the national database, we contacted the owner. They promptly came over to claim their adventurous feline: she had been missing for two years!
Another experience brought the very best Christmas present to a Lincoln family. A black kitty was found in Sun City. Her microchip revealed her home was in downtown Lincoln – this girl had been doing some hiking! A FieldHaven volunteer returned her home on Christmas Eve. That gave new meaning to Home for the Holidays!
Microchipping can be done at any vet as well as many shelters. At FieldHaven, we can microchip your pet for $20, including registration. We have some special deals for FieldHaven adopters. If you’ve adopted a kitty from FieldHaven, we will microchip your other pets for $15 each. We started our microchip program in early 2005: if you adopted a kitty prior to that, we will microchip him or her for $10.
Call or email to schedule an appointment.
For more information on microchips, visit www.24petwatch.com.
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