Microchipping Your Dog
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 According to the American Humane Association, only 17 percent of lost dogs ever find their owners, and almost four million pets are euthanized each year because their owners can’t be found in time. I got lucky a couple of years ago, when my dog walker somehow dropped my dog’s leash and Riley ran through Manhattan traffic for 2 hours. (Yes, I told that specific dog-walking company I’d no longer need their services. I’ll spare you my expletive-filled rant.) Thankfully, a sweet doorman on Fifth Avenue was able to grab her and called my cell number on her tag. But, I wondered, what if she hadn’t had her collar on? So, I started looking into microchipping.
The AVID microchip (not pictured to scale)
If you don’t already know, the procedure is easy and doesn't require anesthesia. It’s basically the same as your pet getting any other vaccination. Your dog gets an injection just under the skin between the shoulder blades, and the injected chip (which is about the size of a grain of rice) contains a unique identification code. I did a little research and found the cost can range from about $40 to $125 at your veterinary hospital, and at many shelters it’s included in the adoption fee.
The two largest manufacturers of microchips are AVID (American Veterinary Identification Devices) and HomeAgain. With AVID, you will register with PETrac (your vet will have the application) and will receive a tag for your dog’s collar with the AVID microchip number. With HomeAgain, you will register with the American Kennel Club (AKC) Companion Animal Recovery (CAR) program. This program maintains a national database and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
With both systems, when your lost dog is found, he or she will be scanned (most vets and shelters have scanners that can read the ID code from all brands of microchip), the number will be called in to whatever service you have, and you will be notified immediately. Genius, right?
Does anyone have a microchipping success story? Or, have you heard of any dangers?
Reader Comments (3)
I got my dog microchipped a few months ago, and it gave me such piece of mind!
My husband and I decided (after very little research) that we did not want to go the micro chip route. We felt that on some level, it was dog abuse. Our dog cannot walk 1 step without checking to see if we are behind him, so it is unlikely that he will run away. Your post was very informative and gave me a lot to think about, i am reassessing. Thanks
I didn't realize the procedure was relatively noninvasive. For some reason I thought the procedure was much more involved. Whenever I get a dog, I'll be sure to have him/her microchipped. Thanks for the informative post!