It is estimated that one in three pets will become lost at some point during his or her lifetime. However, a lost dog or cat does not have to mean lost forever. Read on about why microchipping is important and can bring lost pets home.
Lost pet statistics
- More than 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the U.S. every year (estimation from the American Humane Association).
- About 22 percent of lost dogs that enter animal shelters are reunited with their families. Still, the rate of return for microchipped dogs is more than 52 percent, which is a 238 percent increase (according to a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association).
- Less than 2 percent of lost cats that enter animal shelters are reunited with their families, but the rate of return for microchipped cats is more than 38 percent, which is a 2,000 percent increase (the same study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association).
Why you should microchip your pet
A microchip is a simple, tiny (about the size of a grain of rice), and an inexpensive way to give your pet a “voice.” It gives your pet the ability to tell the person who finds him who he is and where he lives. A microchip provides secure, reliable, and permanent identification, which significantly increases the likelihood that your pet, if lost, will be returned home to you.
Why you should register your pet’s microchip
A microchip only does its job if it is registered with up-to-date contact information in a pet recovery database. The same study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association mentioned above also indicated that only 58 percent of microchipped animals in shelters have microchips that are registered in a database with their owner’s contact information. That means that more than 40 percent of the microchipped animals had microchips that were essentially useless.
The thought of a lost pet can be heartbreaking. If your pet is not microchipped, schedule an appointment with us. If your pet is microchipped and you are unsure about the registration, we can help you determine which database you need to contact.
