Animal shelter worker explains how microchips actually work | World | News
One of the worst things that can happen to pet owners is the loss of a beloved pet. Fortunately, there are many ways to ensure our precious furry friends return home safely, and the most common of these is to make sure they are microchipped.
But one animal shelter worker shared her frustration that the number of owners who don’t understand how microchips work is making reunions even more difficult. lost pets with their families. “I work at a shelter and one of the most frustrating parts of the job is seeing pets that should go home but don’t,” they wrote on Reddit. They said one of the most common misconceptions is about microchips.
“Most people assume that if their pets are microchipped, they are fine,” they said. “A microchip only helps if the chip is actually registered.
“Many pets that come in are chipped, but the chip is not registered anywhere, so we have no way of contacting the owner. “When the owners finally found their pets, they did not realize that their pet’s microchip had not been registered at all.
“They were told their pet was being chipped and assumed that automatically meant their name and phone number were added to the pet. CONSIDER THIS: IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY.”
They added that many people assume that microchips work like GPS trackers and can be used to determine the location of their pets, but this is not true. “The chip only works when someone physically scans your pet with a reader,” they said.
Other common situations they say they see include pets being adopted or purchased with them microchipped, but the new owner not registering the details. They also said that pet owners who are not allowed to leave the house should also have their pets microchipped.
They said: “We’re seeing people not microchipping their pets because they’re ‘indoor only’. Indoor pets go outside. This happens much more often than people think.”
In conclusion they said: “If your pet is chipped, please take a few minutes to check where it is registered, make sure your contact information is up to date and add a backup contact if you can. If your pet is not chipped, please do this!”
Another user offered additional advice, saying: “It should also be noted that if you registered your chip properly but changed or moved your phone number, you need to update this information! If your pet is at a shelter and they can’t reach you because your registered phone number is invalid, this is frustrating for the workers and can be traumatizing for the animal (they may think you didn’t call/show up).
Microchips are small computer chips roughly the size of a grain of rice. according to animal welfare charity Blue Cross.. They contain a unique code that matches a record of your pet’s details stored in an authorized database. If a pet is lost, the owner’s details can be retrieved by scanning the chip.
Microchipping can be carried out by a vet or veterinary nurse and costs between £15 and £25.
While all dogs are required by law to be microchipped in England, Wales and Scotland, cats are also required to be chipped in England. Failure to microchip your pet could result in a fine of up to £500. In Northern Ireland, most dogs must be microchipped as part of applying for a dog licence, which is a legal requirement for owning dogs.
