microchipping

A microchip is NOT a GPS. If your pet is lost, we cannot tell you where it is.

​​​​​​​In addition to wearing a collar and a tag, a lost pet that is microchipped is more likely to be reunited with its owner. We recommend microchipping for dogs and cats of all ages, and if you request it, we will scan your pet at your annual visit to ensure that the chip is working properly.

A microchip is a tiny cylinder with a large amount of electronic information packed inside. It is implanted between your pet’s shoulder blades, and it can be read with a microchip reader. There are a number of companies that sell microchips, but most veterinary hospitals and many shelters now have universal readers which can detect the code from any microchip, no matter which company the microchip was purchased from.

If your pet is lost and someone finds it, they can take it to a shelter or veterinarian who will read the code. Details of all microchipped animals are maintained in a central database. This database can be accessed 24/7 by a single, well-publicized phone and internet portal.

Microchips also are not fail-safe. If your pet has been lost, we strongly recommend that you contact local organizations to report him or her missing. Also make posters and flyers and put them up around the area and on social media.