National Check The Chip Day Helps Keep Pets And Their Owners Together

Afraid to lose your pet? Having trouble keeping track? Microchips may be the answer to all your problems. However, when a microchip is placed in your pet, it needs to be checked annually for accurate location service. Aug. 15 is National Check the Chip Day which encourages all pet owners to update registration information.

Microchips are no bigger than a grain of rice, and veterinarians can implant the chips into all kinds of pets from reptiles and birds to cats and dogs. This carries a number which is programmed into a database with the information of the owner. Avid claims that its microchips help reunite as many as 1,400 pets with their owners every day, and HomeAgain touts a growing total of more than 400,000 pet recoveries.

Animal shelters recommend that every animal should get the chip because it will be easier to track their owner if they become lost.  Terry Cripps, Fairhaven's animal control officer and animal inspector says, "It's also good for cats to have the chip because it will help locate the animals owner. And it's not expensive. It costs around $50- $60."

Prior to having the chip placed into your pet, it is also very important that you update your information to the database. Updating your information is half the battle that the animal shelter frequently faces. "That is the only way information is accurate with the pet owner. That way they can be contacted immediately," says Erin Pacheco, shelter manager at Forever Paws in Fall River, Mass.