Microchips Helping Lost Dogs Get Home
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Tim [email protected]
The microchips contain identification information for each dog, including the animal's owners' names and phone numbers. The information is stored in a database available world-wide. The ID chips are about the size of a grain of rice. Shelter animal coordinator Rhonda Lewis, a veterinary technician, uses a needle to implant the chips between the dogs' shoulder blades. "It's done just like a vaccination," Lewis said.
Lewis has implanted ID chips in more than 300 dogs in the county since the program began.
Animal shelters and veterinary clinics around the country have scanners with which staff are able to read the ID information on the chips implanted on the dogs.
Since last year, the staff at the Animal Welfare League have implanted ID chips in every dog adopted from the shelter. "Vet clinics or shelters would be able to scan it and find out who the dogs belong to if they ever get lost or stolen," said shelter employee Ashley Vanderpool.
Vanderpool said the program will help many stray dogs get home sooner and avoid a long stay at the shelter.
"We get a lot of stray dogs in and a lot of them don't have any type of ID on them," Vanderpool said. "With this, we can scan them, find out who their owner is and get them back to them the same day."
Lewis said only one of every three stray pets ever find their way back home. She said the microchip program can help improve that statistic.
Vanderpool said the microchip program has already paid off locally.
"It has helped a few times," she said. "Dogs that were adopted from us have come in and we've been able to get them back to their owners right away."
The microchip program doesn't cost extra for people adopting dogs from the shelter. The program is also open to area dog owners. Saturday the shelter will hold a microchip clinic from noon to 3 p.m. The cost is $20 for one dog, $15 for a second and $10 for any additional dogs owned by the same owner.
At the clinic, dog owners also will receive a yellow tag with their dog's ID number and a toll-free phone number for the company that runs the database. If a dog has the tag on when it is found by someone who does not have a microchip scanner, the person can call the number and find the dog's identification information.
The clinic is the second of its kind, the shelter has put on. Animal Welfare League business manager Trish Brown said, at the first clinic, the shelter made enough money to sponsor the microchip adoption program for the rest of this year.
"The program really paid for itself," she said.
The Animal Welfare League shelter is 3489 E. CR 100S, Warsaw. For more information, call 574-267-3008.
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The microchips contain identification information for each dog, including the animal's owners' names and phone numbers. The information is stored in a database available world-wide. The ID chips are about the size of a grain of rice. Shelter animal coordinator Rhonda Lewis, a veterinary technician, uses a needle to implant the chips between the dogs' shoulder blades. "It's done just like a vaccination," Lewis said.
Lewis has implanted ID chips in more than 300 dogs in the county since the program began.
Animal shelters and veterinary clinics around the country have scanners with which staff are able to read the ID information on the chips implanted on the dogs.
Since last year, the staff at the Animal Welfare League have implanted ID chips in every dog adopted from the shelter. "Vet clinics or shelters would be able to scan it and find out who the dogs belong to if they ever get lost or stolen," said shelter employee Ashley Vanderpool.
Vanderpool said the program will help many stray dogs get home sooner and avoid a long stay at the shelter.
"We get a lot of stray dogs in and a lot of them don't have any type of ID on them," Vanderpool said. "With this, we can scan them, find out who their owner is and get them back to them the same day."
Lewis said only one of every three stray pets ever find their way back home. She said the microchip program can help improve that statistic.
Vanderpool said the microchip program has already paid off locally.
"It has helped a few times," she said. "Dogs that were adopted from us have come in and we've been able to get them back to their owners right away."
The microchip program doesn't cost extra for people adopting dogs from the shelter. The program is also open to area dog owners. Saturday the shelter will hold a microchip clinic from noon to 3 p.m. The cost is $20 for one dog, $15 for a second and $10 for any additional dogs owned by the same owner.
At the clinic, dog owners also will receive a yellow tag with their dog's ID number and a toll-free phone number for the company that runs the database. If a dog has the tag on when it is found by someone who does not have a microchip scanner, the person can call the number and find the dog's identification information.
The clinic is the second of its kind, the shelter has put on. Animal Welfare League business manager Trish Brown said, at the first clinic, the shelter made enough money to sponsor the microchip adoption program for the rest of this year.
"The program really paid for itself," she said.
The Animal Welfare League shelter is 3489 E. CR 100S, Warsaw. For more information, call 574-267-3008.
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