When it comes to your pet’s safety and security, you can never be too careful! There are all sorts of collars and tags that you can get to make sure your dog’s name and all your contact information is on them and easy to read, just in case they do happen to get away from you. However, even the best-fitted collar or most high-tech scannable tag can get damaged beyond legibility or can be pulled or fall off your dog. Microchips, however, provide a permanent ID for your dog that is impossible to remove or lose.
All About Microchips
Microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and are easily inserted just below the skin between the shoulder blades; they are easy to scan and will assure that, if your pet is found and brought to a veterinarian or a shelter, the unique ID number on the chip will help them to be quickly identified as your pet, regardless of what they may or may not be wearing around their neck. According to the AKC, pets with microchips are up to 20 times more likely to be reunited with their owners. Almost all rescues and breeders will install a microchip before your pup goes home with you! They are quick and easy to install, cheap, and have no batteries, power sources, or moving parts. They’ll last for the entirety of your dog’s life, even if you install it when they are very young.
Registering and Updating the Microchip
Upon injection of the chip or adoption of your dog, you’ll be provided with your pet’s unique ID number and be given access to a portal online that will allow you to pair your pet’s name and your information with their specific microchip. The unique RFID on the chip won’t do you any good unless it’s registered with a national pet recovery database. There are a few different databases where you may register your pet, but they are all interconnected! Those databases hold your personal information and pair it to the chips’ RFID. There are many different databases; if you don’t know where your microchip is registered, AKC Reunite and the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool can help you find which registry your dog is on so that you can access and update your information! Just make sure that if you move or change your phone number, you are keeping your registered information up to date, too. Microchips don’t GPS track since they have no independent power source, so if you are interested in keeping even closer tabs on your pup, you will have to invest in a separate tracking device.
Microchipping: Now Available at Bark U!
Veterinarians universally recommend microchipping, and here at Bark U, we agree! We strongly encourage that all of our guests have microchips, and we are proud to offer a low-cost microchipping service for your convenience. Our trained and qualified staff members will quickly insert the microchip and provide all the information you’ll need to register with a directory. The procedure is so quick and easy that your pup could go out to play immediately afterward! It’s just like getting a quick little shot! Microchipping your pet, and registering that chip, ensures that even if your pet slips out of their collar and runs away, they can be found, identified, and brought back home safely.
If you’re interested in having your dog enroll in Bark U – Register here and request a temperament assessment. To learn more about our other services, submit a contact form or call us at 215-486-2200 today!