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How important is foolproof identification?

-30-60% of lost pets in shelters are euthanized because they cannot be properly identified and returned to their owner.  

-Only 14% of dogs and 4% of cats who end up in shelters are returned to their rightful owners. 

-Less than 25% of all animals that enter shelters are adopted by new owners. 

-Approximately 2 million pets that are reported missing each year may be victims of theft.

Why Microchip Your Pet?

     Microchipping is the best way to help reunite lost pets with their owners. On average, eight to 10 million pets are lost in the United States each year. Only a fraction of those pets, about 22 percent, find their way home after they've reached a shelter. That is in large part due to a lack of pet identification.

     There are different methods of identifying your pet including collar tags and tattoos, but neither provides a complete solution for lost pets. Collars can be lost, and tattoos can be altered, but microchips are permanent.

     Not only is microchipping permanent, but it's also safe and convenient. As easy to administer as a vaccination, the microchip will lasts your pet's lifetime. In the United States, fewer than five percent of pets are microchipped; that small number is due in large part to difficulties in creating a national pet microchip standard. In the United Kingdom, where microchipping is a more prevalent pet safety practice, more than 47 percent of lost dogs make it home, compared to the 22 percent in the United States.

     resQ features a microchip that is approximately the size of a grain of rice, which is implanted into a pet using a single-use syringe. Each microchip contains a code that is unique and readable by scanners based on the ISO-standard 134.2 kHz frequency. When a lost pet arrives at a shelter, the resQ serial number can be identified and the pet can be traced back to its owner.

     The resQ pet identification system utilizes the technology recommended by most major pet welfare organizations in the United States. resQ represents three advancements in the United States pet identification industry:

·        resQ uses scanners that read all brands of microchips tested.

·        resQ uses ISO (International Organization for Standardization) compliant microchips for companion animals

·        resQ uses a true, no-cost pet registration database

1. A microchip is a tiny computer chip which has an identification number programmed into it.

2. The chip is the size of a grain of rice, and it is easily and safely implanted into the skin of an animal with a hypodermic needle.

3. Once the animal is “chipped” he can be identified throughout his life by this unique number.

4. The chips have a 25 year lifespan, require no care, and cannot pass through or out of the body.

5. Microchips are read by a scanning device which recognizes a unique identification number.

6. Through registration of the animal with a national database, the owner can be contacted and this is an important step many pet owners forget.

7. The primary benefit of microchipping is reuniting lost pets with their families, and with good results. One microchip manufacturer says that over a quarter of a million pets have been returned to happy owners using their system. Another manufacturer says they receive 800 calls daily.

8. Both major chip manufacturers report this technology was instrumental in re-uniting pets with their owners after hurricane Katrina. Chips made in the United States are similar in that they transmit information to the scanner on a radio frequency of 125 kHz.

9. Recently the ISO (International Standards Organization) chip has entered the market. It transmits on a frequency of 134.2 kHz. These “ISO” chips are currently in use in Europe, Australia, Asia, and Canada.

10. Unfortunately, not all scanners in animal shelters and veterinary hospitals are capable of reading the two different types of microchips creating a problem and even this ISO standard is changing which will cause more problems in the future.

11. Because there are currently no standards for animal identification, owners are cautioned to use the microchip system most common in their area, and to be aware that the system is not foolproof.

12. Recently the veterinary profession has called for worldwide standardization in animal identification technology. Although the new ISO chips are currently being implanted in pets in many countries, there has not been widespread publicity concerning the controversy and potential problems.

13. Even as the microchip debate continues, more new technology is on the horizon. Global Positioning System microchips and retinal identification systems are also evolving.

14. We all want to jump on the bandwagon of technology, but frankly, when your pet is lost it’s very simple to have a physical pet ID tag on your pet, so the finder can call the owner.

15. By going to www.getmehome.com you can register your own ID number along with your personal information. If a person finds your pet, they can go online and type in the ID number and the information you have given will be shown.

16. Another benefit of getmehome.com is if you move, you can update your information on-line and there is no need to get a new tag. AND it’s free!

17. If you want to use a microchip, contact your local humane societies and veterinary associations to find out which brand is most commonly used in your area. You can also talk to your veterinarian about the possibility of tattooing your pet for identification purposes.

18. Check your pet now to ensure an ID tag is on your pet. Microchipping, GPS and retinal scanning are interesting new technologies, but sometimes extra protection with a foolproof standard like a physical ID tag is a good idea.

19. If looking for a lost pet check out www.petfinder.com.