Storm shows value of microchipping pets
I hope someday to microchip more of my herd...someday. ;) Article below was not written by me BTW. Just thought it worthy of sharing. :)
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A few years ago, I wrote a piece on microchipping in pets that was admittedly pointed in criticism toward the pet-identification industry.
Be that as it may (there are still proprietary issues between the two lead manufacturers), installing microchips in pets is a good idea. It only takes a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina to point out the value of the microchip if it has been implanted. Countless pets - many of which had no collars or tags - were reunited with their owners after the hurricane due to the capability of this system.
So, how do microchips work? The microchip may be implanted during an outpatient visit, or while a pet is sedated for a spay/neuter procedure. The method is simple: a detectable chip is buried beneath the skin in the shoulder area.
Then, using a scanner, the chip is identified by the person using the scanner. Once the chip number is identified, the number may be called into a centralized, 24/7 operated databank for pet identification, and in turn, pet relocation. Some clients of mine have been under the impression that the microchip is a transmitter, but it is not. These microchips are passive, and must be identified as the animal is presented before someone with a scanner.
Two companies who market pet microchips are AVID and HomeAgain. AVID (http://www.avidid.com/) was the original microchip innovator.
Home Again (http://www.homeagainid.com/) became its competition a bit later. The technology is the same. The microchip scanners even recognize each other's chip as present. The main thing in the pet-relocation process is that the concept is only as good as those who will abide by it. Any stray animal admitted in a veterinary hospital or an animal shelter should be scanned in case a microchip can be found. ID scanners should be in the hands of animal-handling personnel in shelters and veterinary hospitals, and in constant use daily. Continuing education programs should be in place by these companies to aid in scanner usage and public awareness.
The whole premise of microchipping for pet identification is to provide a dependable pet-relocation method. I recently saw a news broadcast on our local WLOX-TV station, which showed the bell being rung every time a pet was relocated at the animal shelter near Hattiesburg.
I would love to be there for those happy moments. However, there are numerous "quiet bell ringings" going on due to implanted microchips through AVID and HomeAgain nationwide whenever a successful microchip scan is made. In a country where animal dislocation has created crowded animal shelters and in many cases useless relocation and even euthanasia, why not look to saving some of these animals by scanning them with a widely accepted high-tech method? It is indeed discomforting to know that somehow, somewhere today, a pet with an implanted microchip may be relocated to another state or euthanized without the benefit of a microchip scanning.
Hopefully, the small, yet growing industry of pet microchipping will only flourish more after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Until then, all of us working for the welfare of animals will hope for the best by getting the word out about microchipping compliance and scanner usage.
