Each year, up to 8 million animals end up in shelters. Unfortunately, only 15 to 20% of dogs and less than 2% of cats are ever reclaimed by their owners. One of the best ways to protect your pet’s safety and increase the chances of being reunited is to microchip, yet many pet guardians forgo this plan of protection due to common misconceptions about the practice.
Myth #1: Microchips are expensive — The average cost of a chip implanted by your vet is $45. This includes registering your pet in the service’s database.
Myth #2: Microchips are painful to implant — Microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and implanted by a needle in a fold of skin, similar to a vaccine. For most pets the discomfort is mild and short-term.
Myth #3: My pet’s collar will get her home — Collars with updated ID tags are important, but collars fall off and tags can become unreadable. A microchip can’t fall off, get lost or become indecipherable.
Myth #4: Indoor cats don’t need microchips — Many indoor cats don’t wear collars, and if she pulls a Houdini and slips out, having a microchip could bring her back home.
Myth #5: Microchips provide GPS-style tracking — Microchips aren’t GPS technology, they’re radio-frequency identification technology and must be scanned in order to work. Almost all U.S. shelters have a microchip scanner on hand that can read numbers from just about any chip.
The bottom line is that the advantages of microchipping far outweigh the drawbacks. Get your pet chipped and keep the information updated. It’s the most reliable way to get your family member home safe.