http://www.kirotv.com/consumer/3302626/detail.html Problem With Some Microchips For Pets
Bebe Emerman KIRO 7 Consumer Investigator
UPDATED: 4:14 PM PDT May 13, 2004
Nothing is more heartbreaking than when a beloved pet goes missing.
Implanting a microchip in your dog or cat can help trace them, but watch out.
Consumer Investigator Bebe Emerman exposes a serious problem with one major microchip seller.
Animal shelters, Humane Associations and vets use electronic scanners to check to see if an animal has been microchipped. But our investigation reveals your dog or cat may be carrying a kind of chip these scanners can't pick up -- sometimes with disastrous results.
Lisa Massey is still in shock. A few weeks ago, she took her 8-month-old puppy Haddon to the vet at her local Petsmart store for an examination and a microchip.
"At that time, I thought it would be a good thing to save Haddon's life, besides his collar that he would wear," Massey said.
So when the puppy disappeared from the backyard not long afterward, she wasn't too worried. She thought he'd be protected.
"[I thought] that if a shelter picked him up, I would be contacted."
But as the days passed with no word of Haddon, Massey became alarmed. She checked shelter after shelter, until she finally found the one that had her dog.
"They had put Haddon to sleep 30 minutes before I called. They had scanned him twice. Didn't register. I had to actually tell them he had a microchip."
The microchip implanted in Haddon is known as an ISO chip. It uses different -- some say more advanced -- technology than the 125-kiloherz microchip that's commonly used in the US.
But there's a problem.
"In the sense they are not chips that most of the local animal shelters, humane societies or animal control are able to pick up with the scanners that we're using," said Nancy McKenney of the Seattle/King Co. Humane Society.
It's not unusual for shelters to have more than one scanning device.
But most are designed to only pick up 125 kiloherz microchips made either by Avid or Home Again.
But watch what happens when we try detecting the new ISO chip, using the scanner the Seattle/King County Humane Society had on hand.
We get nothing.
Reading the new chips requires a brand new scanner, but only about 1,000 of them have been distributed nationwide.
That only covers about a third of 3,000 humane societies and animal control shelters across the country, not to mention rescue groups and emergency vet clinics.
The Seattle/King County Humane Society does have one of the new scanners and is doing double scanning for both kinds of chips.
But I also checked with all the different shelters in the area and they have either never received the scanner or they don't intend to do double scanning.
The new chip is offered at 370 Banfield Pet Hospitals nationwide, which are located in Petsmart stores.
We sent a hidden camera into this location in Atlanta. When we asked the technician on duty how the chip was read, she assured us "All scanners should read it."
When asked how many shelters are currently scanning for the Banfield chip she told us "they offered every humane society out there a free scanner."
"Most veterinary clinics, private ones included usually have at least one scanner."
When we contacted Banfield, we were told this employee had given us "incorrect information."
Because of this and other problems we've uncovered, the company has now decided to take drastic action, as we learned in a telephone interview with Banfield spokesperson, Dr. Karen Johnson.
"Banfield, the pet hospital has decided to take a temporary hiatus from distributing additional microchips to the hospitals, until sometime in July. And we made the decision that the shelter community need additional time," Johnson said.
Banfield says it plans take approximately 700 scanners now used by its employees and distribute them to animal shelters within a 25 mile radius of its hospitals.
The company also plans to ramp up its customer education program, so pet owners know the limitations of the chips.
Lisa Massey says that's a good thing, even though it's too late for her and her puppy.
"I don't want this to happen to another pet," she said.
Before the chip is implanted in a pet they need to let them know that it's possible in their area that this chip isn't going to register, they need to make the consumer aware of that.
The National Humane Association feels so strongly about what happened to Lisa Massey, it has been flying her around the country to tell her story. The microchip maker Avid has also contributed to the travel expenses.
As for Banfield, it says after its self-imposed hiatus, it will continue to promote the ISO chip, which it claims is easier to read and cheaper to implant than the older 125 kiloherz chips.
Of course we remind you that a microchip is just a back-up identifier.
The best way to protect your pet if he or she gets lost is to make sure they're wearing a collar with tags.etail.html
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