Microchipping Helps Identify Lost Pets By Mike Shands The Watauga Humane Society is using computer technology to help chip away at the problem of lost pets in the High Country. Demonstrating how easy it is to implant a microchip in a pet are humane society staff members and volunteers, from left, Elizabeth Bookout, Rene Whitlow and Summer Sheffield. Photo by Mike Shands. Thanks to the humane society and area veterinarians, owners can now take advantage of the process of microchipping to give their pets a better chance of being identified if they’re ever lost. Microchipping is a permanent method of pet identification that involves embedding a microchip under a pet’s skin between its shoulder blades. The microchip contains a unique identification number and is small enough to be injected with a hypodermic needle. When animals enter a shelter or research facility they are scanned with a microchip detector that reads the microchip number and displays it on a screen. The number is then called in to a 24-hour hotline to identify the pet’s owner. Unlike a collar and tag, that may be lost or removed, the microchip is a lifelong identification system. “We are microchipping all of the animals at the shelter now so that when they’re adopted they have a microchip in them,” said Lynn Northup, the humane society’s shelter manager. “Animals are actually registered to the Watauga Humane Society, but we give the owner a pamphlet with information on how to get the information changed to their personal information. That way they can be contacted directly without having to go through us to find it.” The humane society recently started microchipping all of the animals in its shelter. “Our animals are being microchipped when they go to get spayed and neutered, but if animals come in to us already spayed or neutered we are putting the microchips in ourselves,” Northup said. “The chip is about the size of a grain of rice. It fits into the end of a hypodermic needle and is just injected, like if you were giving a shot right under the skin. “The needle is pretty big, and we thought it’s going to be hard to do, but so far the animals don’t even flinch when you inject it so it’s not a painful procedure. I had my dog done about five months ago.” Microchipping is an international concept so that lost pets can be identified no matter how far from home they wander. “If you move, as long as the company has your correct contact information, your animals could be found, even if it was in Colorado or wherever,” Northup said. “It’s a great thing.” As an example Northup related the story of a dog turned into another area shelter about six months ago. “They scanned it, and it traced back to Colorado or Pennsylvania or someplace,” she said. “They were able to find the owner, the owner drove down and got their dog. “This is a great way to get your pet back, no matter where it ends up.” Monthly Microchip Clinic The humane society is teaming up with Dr. Cara Roten-Henson of Animal Medical Center of Boone to offer an affordable monthly microchip clinic for pet owners. No appointment is necessary, but owners must bring proof of their pets’ rabies vaccination, and the pets must be at least 8 weeks old. The microchipping cost will be $25 per pet, including cats, kittens, dogs and puppies. The normal cost for microchipping can be as high as $50. Proceeds from the microchip clinic will benefit the humane society. Those interested in the microchip clinic should contact the humane society for exact dates and times each month. “We’re hoping to have a great turnout for this because we know a lot of the animals that are sitting over at animal control or at the humane society belong to someone, but there’s no way to find out because they didn’t have collars and tags on them, and they don’t have a microchip in them,” Northup said. “There’s no way for us to get them back to their owners unless the owner calls looking for them.” Watauga Animal Control and at least some local veterinarians also use microchip scanners. Northup said owners shouldn’t remove their pets’ collars and tags just because the animal has been microchipped, though. “By state law you have to have a rabies tag on your dog, and Watauga County requires that you have a privilege tag on your dog, also,” she said. “I think it’s a good idea to have a personal tag with your phone number on it because the average person is not going to have a scanner. If the tag should come off and the animal ends up in a shelter then they can still identify it with the microchip.” Some people will remove an animal’s nametag or collar on purpose. “A lot of people don’t realize that your animals can be stolen, and then sold to research labs,” Northup said. “But by law research labs have to scan animals when they purchase them, and if it has a microchip they have to contact the owner. “That’s another good reason to do it.” Some people have expressed concern about microchipping being a way for the government to discover information about people or spy on them. But that’s not true, Northup said. “All a microchip has is a number that’s registered,” she said. “Once we explained everything to the people, they were like, ‘OK, that is a good idea,’ but there is this fear of the government microchipping people.” For more information about the microchip clinic or the humane society call (828) 264-7865 or look online at www.wataugahumanesociety.org. “I really want to impress on people how important it is to get the microchip,” Northup said.