Reclaiming Your Lost Pet

Reclaiming Your Lost Pet

SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Losing a pet can happen in a matter of seconds. A door left open or a collar loosely placed can have devastating consequences for the pet and leave the pet owner heartbroken. As a way to ensure peace of mind, many owners are asking their veterinarians to implant microchips on their pets -- a safe and quick procedure as painless as a vaccination.

Studies show that as many as 12 million animal companions end up in shelters each year, with fewer than 16 percent of lost dogs and 2 percent of lost cats ever finding their way home, according to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy. The primary cause, the council says, is a lack of identification.

"A lost pet can sit in the shelter for days without proper identification, and in all too many cases is never reunited with its family," says CVMA president Eric Weigand, DVM, president of the California Veterinary Medical Association.

One way to prevent that is to make sure your pet wears a collar and tags that contain your current contact information. A collar and tags are still the easiest and most popular form of pet identification. Whether picked up by your local animal control agency or a helpful neighbor, your lost pet will be quickly identified as yours.

Microchip implants increase the likelihood of lost pets being reunited with their owners since some pets will lose their collars and tags during the time between escaping and being taken to an animal shelter. The procedure does not affect them physically or behaviorally. During a hospital visit, a licensed veterinarian injects the tiny microchip, comparable to the size of a grain of rice, between the shoulder blades of the pet. It is permanently embedded with a unique alphanumeric identifier that contains information that can be read when scanned with an electronic reader.

Pet owners are also given a distinctive tag for the animal's collar, which helps to inform those who find the lost pet of the microchip implant. The tag provides a specific chip number and contact information with the recovery service's toll-free number. If a pet is lost, the chip is traced either to the pet's owner or to the pet's veterinarian, who in turn will contact the pet's owner.

Microchips are found to be more efficient and beneficial than pet tattoos. Tattoos can be altered or hard to find and read if the pet is frightened or has a heavy hair coat. Microchips provide a permanent form of identification for pets, as long as pet owners keep their veterinarian updated with any changes to their contact information.

"When the pet receives a microchip, its owner is providing a ticket back home," remarked Dr. Weigand.

For media interviews with a California veterinarian regarding this issue, please contact Melissa Stallings at the CMVA: 916-649-0599. To access past CMVA press releases, visit the CVMA Media Center in the News Room at www.cvma.net.

The California Veterinary Medical Association is the largest state veterinary medical association in the United States, with more than 5,500 members. Founded in 1888, its mission is to serve its membership and community through innovative leadership and to improve animal and human health in an ethically and socially responsible manner.

Source: California Veterinary Medical Association

CONTACT: Melissa Stallings of California Veterinary Medical Association,
+1-916-649-0599

Web site: http://www.cvma.net/

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