Having a microchip greatly increases the likelihood of the animal being reunited with their owner.
The Guelph Humane Society knows that a missing pet can be a stressful situation, and when pets don’t have any identification it can be even more worrisome.
On Saturday, Oct. 14, the Guelph Humane Society is hosting a Microchip Clinic for pet owners at the Evergreen Seniors Community Centre from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Microchips provide a safe and effective way to help lost pets return home quickly and safely.
“We are very excited to be hosting our first Microchip Clinic,” says Lisa Veit, associate director of the Guelph Humane Society. “The Guelph Humane Society is committed to reuniting as many lost pets with their owners as possible, and identification is key to helping us bring pets and their families back together.”
While collars and tags are always recommended, collars can become lost or aren’t always on when an animal escapes the home, which is why microchips are an important additional tool in helping lost pets return home.
The Guelph Humane Society has seen many animals be reunited with their guardians, thanks to microchip identification. Earlier this year, ‘BooBoo’, a female brown tabby cat, was reunited with her family after being lost for four years. The twist – BooBoo originally went missing in Watsonville, Calif. in 2013.
“Without a doubt, BooBoo is an extraordinary example of the importance of microchipping your pet. Without a microchip, BooBoo would never have been reunited with her family,” says Veit.
A story such as BooBoo’s showcases how important permanent pet identification is. “We encourage pet owners whose pets are not currently microchipped to register for the Microchip Clinic and join us on Oct. 14,” says Veit.
The Guelph Humane Society also wants to remind pet owners that a microchip only works if its registration information is accurate.
To remind pet owners with microchipped pets to check that their contact information is up-to-date, the Guelph Humane Society will also be offering to “Check the Chip” of already microchipped pets at various events and park patrols leading up to the clinic.
“Keeping your contact information current is key, as people move and change addresses or phone numbers all the time,” Veit says.
A microchip is a small chip, about the size of a grain of rice, that is implanted under the pet’s skin as permanent identification. When a lost pet is found, animal shelters and veterinary clinics can scan the pet with a specific type of scanner (using radio frequency identification technology), which will bring up a unique number that is matched in a database to an owner’s contact information.
Having a microchip greatly increases the likelihood of the animal being reunited with their owner, in the event it goes missing.
Those interested in bringing their pet to the microchip clinic are asked to reserve an appointment by completing the registration here or by calling the Guelph Humane Society at 519-824- 3091. The cost of the microchip implant is $30.
The Microchip Clinic will be held at the Evergreen Seniors Community Centre located at 683 Woolwich St., Guelph. All proceeds from this event will help the Guelph Humane Society to provide care and medical treatment to animals in need in our community.