Why Micro Chip Your Pet?

The American Humane Association estimates over 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the U.S. every year. A micro chip is a simple product of our high-tech age. No bigger than a grain of rice or more costly than a month’s supply of pet food, a pet micro chip and enrollment in a pet recovery database brings lost pets home and provides peace of mind that your beloved companion will never wander unknown. One in three pets will become lost at some point during their life.

A study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, including 53 animal shelters across the U.S., confirmed the high rate of return of micro chipped dogs and cats to their families, and the importance of microchip registration. Here’s what the study found:

-Only about 22 percent of lost dogs that entered the animal shelters were reunited with their families. However, the return-to-owner rate for micro chipped dogs was over 52 percent (a 238 percent increase).

-Less than 2 percent of lost cats that entered the animal shelters were reunited with their families. The return-to-owner rate for micro chipped cats was dramatically higher at over 38 percent (more than 2000 percent better).

-Only 58 percent of the micro chipped animals’ microchips had been registered in a database with their pet parent’s contact information.

-High-tech protection can prevent heartbreak.

-Veterinarians encourage micro chipping. And with good reason—micro chipping substantially increases the likelihood of a pet returning home by offering secure, reliable, unique and permanent identification.

Call the Bredel Clinic at the HART Animal Center for an appointment to micro chip your pets at 301.387.7729.