Some facts to consider

At first glance micro chip technology is intoxicating. The advances that the micro chip has brought to this world are mind boggling. It most certainty has a good reputation just on its own.

But what about micro chips for use in pet identification? Everywhere you turn there are mixed reviews. Most humane shelters do not scan for chips. Even fewer vets have scanners. Some humane agencies and veterinarians strongly encourage them, although almost all admit to the many drawbacks to the system (some are, the chip is not visible, different frequencies can require different scanners, the chip can migrate, high failure rate, few participating humane agencies, high cost of chip then added cost of registration).

What do micro chips offer?

Micro chips can help humane agencies find owners quicker than usual.

Micro chips are a source of profit for veterinarians.

BUT....

What does micro chip implanting offer the pet owner?

The concept of the micro chip implant is that when (if) your pet enters a humane shelter, it can be identified and the owner contacted (A recent poll showed that of 82 humane shelters contacted randomly, 23 did not have scanners, 18 had scanners but didn’t use them and 32 scanned for microchips, "most of the time" and 9 scanned every pet that came in their facility. Veterinarians scan far less often). Many shelters that did scan have told us that their employees get very tired of scanning and rarely or never come across an implanted pet. Many, therefore, stop scanning. In some communities (such as air force bases) where chipping has been made mandatory, chipped pets are found regularly and the system works quite well (aside from complaints of chips failing and migrating).

Pet owners currently contact shelters, are put on a lost pet list and contacted when a similar pet is found. Microchips would help recover a pet if a pet owner was not looking for their pet and the pet happened to be found by a shelter that scanned (only if the pet owner has paid the additional registration fee and kept their information updated.)

Most chipping companies provide a tag, but these (at date of this article) are rubber or plastic and the lowest quality tags available. These tags can wear out in weeks or months and offer the pet owner a false sense of protection. In a sample 22 calls over 15 days to the "recovery line" of these tags, all made you leave a message.

But what won’t a micro chip reliably do for a pet owner?

• It won’t keep the pet safe from being stolen and sold to experimental labs.
• It won’t keep a pet safe while traveling.
• It doesn't offer any benefit over contacting humane agencies yourself when your pet is lost.
• It won’t recover a pet that has been found and kept by an individual or family (and this is the #1 way you would permanently lose your pet)

Even worse!

Microchip companies are in the business of making and selling microchips. Their membership and recovery systems are quite faulty. First, they offer no recovery services. If you pet is lost, there is no reason to contact them. Secondly, they either offer only an annual membership, which most people will obviously fall off of in short time, or charge for every update to their file which discourages pet owners to keep their information updated.

We have watched micro chips closely for the past 15 years. The goals they set have not come close to being met. Although it is not a bad thing to have in your pet, the lack of advantages far outweigh the benefits. There are better ways to protect your pet from loss. We think micro chips are a wonderful thing - but not for pet identification or recovery!

If microchipping becomes efficient, the APA SPCA will fully endorse them, but the current products are not efficient at recovering lost pets.

*Source: Avid Pet Trac World Wide Recovery Service

last updated 4/03/11