There are multiple reasons why your pet should be microchipped.

1. There’s, of course, the most obvious.  A microchip gives you and your lost or stolen pet the best chance of being reunited.  Worrying about a lost pet is far more painful than even grieving over a deceased one.  The horrible images your mind can conjure up if your pet is lost are truly heartbreaking.  I know.  I’ve been there. Statistics show that more than 10 million pets are stolen or lost each year in the U.S.  Microchipping more than doubles the chance of your dog being returned to you.  For cats, the rate is dramatically higher – more than 2000 percent better. Think the loss of a pet can’t happen to you?  Think again.  One in three dogs goes missing at some point in their lifetime. And missing pets rarely return home..  However, if your lost pet has a microchip and someone finds him and takes him to be scanned, you'll be reunited quickly. Even exclusively indoor pets can escape from time to time.
2. Likewise, if your pet is stolen and found, your contact information that is stored in the microchip database will settle a dispute over the ownership of a pet.
3. While it is still a good idea for even indoor pets to wear a collar and tag, a microchip is much more reliable.  Collars can break, fall off, or be removed.  Microchips are permanent.
4. A microchip can even help save your own life or reunite your with your family following an accident.   I recently read of an elderly woman who was walking her dog and was hit by a car.  She was severely injured and there wasn’t any identification on her.  However, there was identification on her dog – a quick scan revealed a microchip and provided the information necessary to contact the victim’s loved ones.  Both pet and pet parent were helped in this case.
5. Pets tolerate the simple procedure required to implant the microchip extremely well.  It is no more painful than a vaccination.  The chip is the size of a grain of rice and is injected with a needle under the skin on the back.
6. As high-tech as this method is of keeping up with your pet, it is equally inexpensive.  Yet, the peace of mind you get from a microchip and enrollment in a national database is priceless.

National Pet ID Week is April 17th – 23rd.  Make an appointment now to have a microchip implanted in all your pets. Give your pet the best chance of being reunited with you if he is ever lost.  You both deserve it.