Microchipping your pet means in the unfortunate event of your pet going missing, the chances of having them returned to you are greatly increased. Collars can be removed or lost, but microchips are a permanent means of identification.
Many pups when they are sold by breeders have a microchip already in place, It is very important to make sure that this microchip is re registered in the New Owner’s name with the New Owner’s address and Telephone Numbers. Please Contact Us if you wish to make an appointment to microchip your pet or if you want to check if your pup is registered properly.
Why should we microchip our pet?
If your pet strays or is stolen, it may remain unidentified for days, weeks or even permanently causing much distress to you and your pet. Microchipping is a simple and effective way to make sure that your pet can be easily identified should you become separated. It provides your pet with a permanent, secure proof of identity – unlike collar tags, which can get lost or be taken off.
How will I be reunited with my pet if he/she is lost or stolen?
Your pet is registered on a national database such as www.fido.ie or The Irish Kennel Club Database and a special hand held scanner at the nearest veterinary surgery or dog pound can easily read the chip. Encoded on the chip is a specific 15 digit number unique to your pet which is registered along with details of it’s breed, sex, age and most importantly the owners name, address and telephone numbers. When your pet is scanned your details and a search on the national database is complete, you will be contacted and reunited with your pet.
Information on the microchip can only be read with this special scanner and every lost animal is checked for the presence of a microchip. A combination of a microchip and an identity tag is probably the method to ensure a swift return of a lost pet.
What is a microchip like and where is it placed?
Microchips for pets are about the size of a rice grain and are placed beneath the skin usually between the shoulder blades.
What are the benefits of microchipping?
The main benefit of having them are that should your pet ever be lost or a dispute over ownership arise there is a quick and reliable way to establish the rightful owner. Pets can stray out of a garden when a gate is left open or if they manage to scale a wall or fence; they may be distracted on a walk and disappear away after wildlife or with other pets, sometimes they are injured while out on their own and may be brought to a vets surgery or ISPCA shelter.
In all these situations the quicker the owner can be reunited with the pet the less stress the pet will suffer. It is also very frustrating for vets to have an animal brought in having been found wandering and having no way of identifying it although it may obviously be someone’s well loved pet.
NOTE: A microchip is necessary when applying for an EU Pet Passport.