Implanting a microchip in your pet and keeping it updated increases your chances of reuniting with your pet if they go missing.
National Chip Your Pet Month is celebrated in May and is dedicated to bringing awareness to pet owners about the importance of microchipping your fur baby. As a pet owner, there’s no worse feeling than having your pet run away from home or go missing. However, implanting a microchip in your pet and keeping it updated increases your chances of reuniting with your pet if they go missing, providing you with a sense of relief while ensuring your pet’s safety. Continue reading to learn more about pet microchips and how they can benefit you and your fur baby.
What Are Microchips and How Do They Work?
Microchips are tiny radio-frequency identification transponders with a unique identification number typically implanted beneath your pet’s skin between the shoulder and neck. When scanned by a veterinary clinic or animal shelter, the chip provides important data, including your pet’s identification number and your contact information, allowing pet owners to reunite with their pets quickly and successfully if they get lost. Implanting microchips in your pet is the most effective way to reunite lost pets with their owners.
Benefits of Microchipping Your Pet
Pet owners can often be hesitant about microchipping their pet, so listed below are some of the benefits linked to microchipping your pet:
- Allows pet owners to be contacted if their lost pet is found
- Increases the chances of pet owners reuniting with their lost pet
- Increases the safety of your pet if they’re ever lost
- It’s an efficient way to identify pets and their owners
- Decreases the chance of your pet being stolen and sold
- Provides pet owners peace of mind in the event their pet is lost
- It helps prove pet ownership
- It’s a permanent form of identification for pets and pet owners
- It’s a simple injection that can be done during an office visit
Statistics on Lost/Recovered Dogs and Cats
- 1 to 3 pets will somehow get lost in their pet life.
- Around 15% of dog owners have lost their pets within the last five years
- Dogs with microchips are 2.5 times more likely to be found
- There are an estimated 70 million stray animals on the street within the United States (U.S.), including dogs
- Approximately 620,000 stray dogs that enter shelters are returned to their owners
- Around 49% of dog owners have found their pets in the neighborhood.
- Over 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the United States each year
- 15% of all dogs that enter shelters and don’t have an ID tag or microchip will be reunited with their owner
- Around 20% of dogs will return home on their own
- It’s more likely for dogs to be returned to their owners than cats
- Dogs are more likely to be returned to their owners if brought to a shelter
- There’s a 93% chance of finding a dog within the first 24 hours, and it drops by 60% after that period
- Majority of lost pets are recovered within 30 days
- Lost dogs are typically found 1-2 miles within their escape route
- 15 percent of missing pets are never found
- Around 58% of pets with microchips have been registered in a database with their pet owner’s contact information
- Over 52% of microchipped dogs have been returned to their owners
- Over 38% of microchipped cats were returned to their owners
Here at Mount Carmel Animal Hospital, We’ll Treat Your Pets Like Family!
Mount Carmel Animal Hospital has been serving the Northern Baltimore/Southern York community for over 30 years and is proud to be an independently operated, small animal practice committed to excellence in veterinary medicine and client service. From grooming to wellness services, along with Canine Life Skills Training Courses, and surgical procedures, we have the expertise that will best serve the needs of you and your pet. Contact us at 410-343-0200 and follow us on Facebook!