Keep Lost Pets Safe With Microchips

Remember Willow, the calico kitty who went missing from her Colorado home, then was miraculously found five years later in New York City? She has to be one of the luckiest felines in the world. Due to the Squires family’s very astute decision to have her micro-chipped, they have been reunited and one very happy kitty has been returned home.

To celebrate this remarkable reunion, along with the recovery of many other missing pets who have also been micro-chipped, Banfield Pet Hospital is making an incredible offer! During the months of October and November, folks will be able to have their pets micro-chipped at 50 percent off their regular cost of $35.

Many pet owners fear pets going missing. According to Home Again, the nationwide pet ID and recovery service, one in three pets will become lost during their lifetime, and sadly, 90 percent of them will never return home without identification. Banfield Pet Hospital, a leader in pet safety, is pleased to announce a wonderful opportunity for pet owners to get their pets micro-chipped at an extremely reasonable cost, from October 1 through November 30, 2011. The microchip system is powered by Home Again.

Even though responsible animal owners collar their pets with identification information, collars can fall off, becoming discarded by the animal, or, much worse, be removed if the animal is stolen. External devices fall short in providing permanent identification information. What is even more alarming; there has been a 32 percent increase in the theft of pets from 2010 to 2011, according to The American Kennel Club. Micro-chipping is the only permanent, reliable method, since it cannot be altered or removed and has a unique code that links the animal back to its owner.

Senior vice president and chief medical officer of Banfield Pet Hospital, Dr. Jeffrey Klausner said, “Every day pets become lost and will never see their family again because they didn’t have a simple, yet effective tool to reunite them with their family. However, inserting a microchip is the simplest and most important step a pet owner can take to ensure that a lost pet returns home safely. We believe every pet we see should be micro-chipped, and right now, not enough pets are protected—it should be as common as a collar or ID tag.”

How does micro-chipping work? Since the microchips are no larger than a grain of rice, they are implanted by a veterinarian using a hypodermic needle. This simple procedure is similar to giving the animal a vaccination. Since the discomfort pets may experience is about the same as a "shot," veterinarians rarely use local anesthesia.  

Dr. Edgardo Ortiz, medical director for the New York and New Jersey Banfield Pet Hospitals said, “The micro-chipping procedure is quick and safe and can be done at a local Banfield Pet Hospital. This inexpensive and permanent device is the best hope a pet owner has of protecting a lost or stolen pet."

Included in the Home Again microchip is lifetime registration, permitting the pet owner to update their contact information, if necessary, at no additional charge. Provided is a tag with instructions if the lost pet is found. The pet will also undergo a routine microchip scan during every hospital visit to verify the emission by its actual owner.

To take advantage of Banfield Pet Hospital's 50 percent discount, coupons are available on their website.

What are your thoughts about micro-chipping? Share them in a comment.