Why the need to microchip your dog

Why the need to microchip your dog

 

Dogs and cats are the most common animals that people would get as pets. But while they are common, it is also equally common for dogs and cats to be lost by their owners, either by the pets running away while outdoors, or the pets running away while the gate or fence is left unlocked. Just in the States itself, there are an estimated 10 million dogs that are being lost every year, with only 23% of the pets being returned safely to the owners. That is a staggering statistic that can be prevented if owners take some preventive measures. The most basic of all measures is by microchipping your dog.

What is microchipping

The process of microchipping your dog involves inserting a microchip just underneath the dog’s skin. Usually, the microchip is inserted at the back of the neck. This microchip contains critical information about the pet, including the owner’s address, and that is why we encourage all owners to microchip the dog so that there is a form of identification should the dog go missing.

One of the most important benefit of microchipping the dog is that when the dog goes missing and is found and placed in the shelter, it will be easier for the shelter to scan the microchip and locate the owner of the dog. Also, should there be a dispute against the ownership of the dog, all the shelter needs to do is to scan the microchip to authenticate the owner’s claim! While microchipping will prevent the owner from losing the dog, it will also prevent the owner from watching the dog being adopted by another family just because the rightful owner is unable to prove the claim that the dog is indeed his.

There are actually other benefits of microchipping the dog, and this is only possible with the usage of recent technological advancements. Now, there are microchips that allows the dog to open doors that are programmed to react to the signal coming from the microchip. This added function does have a subtle benefit, in the sense that it can also prevent wild animals from entering the house.

What to look out for when microchipping dog

Before you bring your dog to a random vet to microchip the dog, always ensure that the vet itself is licensed to perform the microchipping. This added check will ensure that the process is legit and will help to avoid the risk of the dog getting an infection should you decide to microchip the dog yourself. It is common for the dog to have some minor bleeding throughout the process, but the vet will be able to handle the situation.

Concerns about privacy

It is legitimate concern about privacy since the owner’s information is stored in the microchip itself. Of course, while the microchip should only be scanned at the vet or at the shelters to locate the owner, it is possible that people abuse this information. As such, we will encourage you to avoid giving out your full address on the microchip. Provide your mobile number and should suffice!

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