MICROCHIPS SAVE LIVES!!!!
It is important to consider microchipping every pet. Ask us for details but, sadly, we have seen it all….. the senior dog who wanders off and gets lost, the happy puppy who had a bath then ran out the door, the indoor cat who got spooked and slipped past house guests…
Bottom line “MICROCHIPS SAVE LIVES!!!!” Every year, thousands and thousands of pets go missing.
Since traditional collars are not safe for cats (hanging risk), and the “safety collars” come off easily, microchipping is the only way to truly identify cats. Indoor cats are especially clueless if they slip outdoors. If a cat is injured on the side of the road, it is imperative that he/she is microchipped so you can be reached immediately and your kitty get the veterinary care needed.
Microchipping has also saved the lives of some of our patients YEARS later who were stolen, lost or in natural disasters. Collars and IDs slip off- microchips are permanent identification for life and cost under $100.
Dr. Wellman and her family rescued 80 pets after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The only pets who were able to positively be reunited with their families were the pets who were microchipped or still had a collar on with current tags.
Not knowing where your pet is or how to bring him/her back home can be a helpless, hopeless feeling. It’s a tragedy that happens all too often. But there is a simple, safe, and effective way to ensure your pet’s safety and retrieval should he/she ever become lost. Microchipping implants a tiny chip underneath your pet’s skin, much like a vaccination. It is a painless, fast, and safe to implant a microchip. The microchip is registered with your pet’s vital information, and can be scanned by any veterinarian or animal shelter so that they can return your pet directly to you.
There are no yearly fees for the microchip registration. It is important to update contact information with the microchip company when you move and to list a permanent back up contact.
Penny’s Story: Penny was a patient of Dr. Wellman’s whose owners were elderly. One of Penny’s pet parents passed away and the other pet parent went into a nursing home at the same time. Penny got lost during the family crisis. Three years later, after both of Penny’s pet parents had passed away, Penny was rescued from a terrible situation. She was a long-haired fox terrier and was living on a chain with no shelter, super matted, terrified, and starving. The rescue group scanned her for a microchip. Penny was microchipped!!! Penny’s late pet parents had listed their son as their emergency contact. Their son was contacted and reunited with Penny. Dr. Wellman helped get Penny cleaned up and healthy again! Microchips are an awesome way to protect our pets and to give us peace of mind when the unexpected happens!