Why Pet Microchipping is Essential for Their Safety and Your Peace of Mind

Have you ever experienced the heart-wrenching feeling when your pet goes missing? Whether they bolted out of the door because of a thunderstorm, escaped out of a window, or simply wandered off, millions of pets go missing in North America every year.

According to Humane Canada, 86% of dogs and 16% of cats that were lost were reunited with their pet parents in 2021. Microchipping your pet can be the deciding factor between them being sent to a shelter or happily reuniting with their family.

Every microchip number is different, so think of it as your pet’s own unique fingerprint. No two are the same. Microchips are encoded with a unique registration number that is connected to your contact information. The tiny microchip, which is no bigger than a grain of rice, is implanted under your pet’s skin. The procedure is quick and can be done during a veterinary appointment. The microchip is injected with a little needle, just like a vaccination.

The key benefit of microchipping your pet is that it offers a permanent solution that ID tags and collars cannot. Many pets wear ID tags and collars, but these can become worn and unreadable - not to mention, they easily fall off when your pet is dashing away!

In the case that your pet has been microchipped and has slipped away, any veterinary office or animal shelter can scan the microchip and the microchip company will contact you. It’s important to pet parents to update the microchip company with their new address if they move. Even if your pet went missing years ago, their microchip could help you to be happily reunited – just like what happened to Jazz and Rose!

Rose was moving to a new place and needed someone to temporarily watch over Jazz, her beloved Rottweiler that’s been a part of her family for over 5 years. Unfortunately, once Rose was settled in and was ready to take Jazz back, Rose was told that her dog was no longer in their care. And just like that, Rose’s world started to crash – her dog was missing.

After some time, Rose discovered that Jazz was in West Ontario, but over a year had gone by and she started to assume the worst.

A wonderful turn of events unfolded when one of our Animal Transport partners took Jazz into their care. After scanning her microchip, they promptly notified Rose, and relocated Jazz to Toronto Humane Society where they could finally be reunited.

The reunion between Jazz and Rose, two long-lost friends, was a heartwarming moment full of tears, hugs, and wet kisses.

If Jazz was not microchipped, she may have never been reunited with her loving family. This is just one example of the life-changing power of microchipping your pet.