Pray steal me not, I'm Mrs. Dingley's,
Whose heart in this four-footed thing lies.
Jonathan Swift (a lapdog's collar inscription)
Microchip! Microchip! Microchip! (And most importantly, REGISTER it!)
Whether at home or on the road, take care that your dog is wearing identification tags and is micro-chipped and that the information is registered and up-to-date.
According to petfinder.com, one in three pets will become lost at some point during their life and statistics indicate that missing pets rarely make it home. The American Humane Association estimates over 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the U.S. every year. Another study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, (that included 53 animal shelters across the United States) confirmed the high rate of return of micro-chipped dogs and cats to their families, and the importance of microchip registration. Inexplicably, only 58 percent of micro-chipped animals’ microchips had been registered in a database with their pet-parent’s contact information. Heartbreakingly, their found that only 22 percent of lost dogs that entered the animal shelters were reunited with their families. However, the good news is that the return-to-owner rate for micro-chipped dogs was over 52 percent.
Micro-chipping your pet substantially increases the likelihood of your pet returning home by offering an affordable, secure, reliable, and permanent identification. Contact your local veterinary clinic or animal shelter to have your pet micro-chipped. For more information on micro-chipping see HomeAgain.com and/or Avidid.com.
Happy Tails to You Until We Meet Again in Pismo Beach!
Your four-footed pal, Goldie
