The month of May is National Chip Your Pet Month and serves as a reminder to get your pets microchipped and/or register their microchip!
The American Kennel Club (AKC) officially recognizes this month as a holiday. It was introduced to educate responsible pet owners of the importance of microchipping.
The American Humane Association estimates over 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the U.S. every year. One in three pets will become lost at some point during their life. In the last year, the return-to-owner rate for microchipped dogs was over 52 percent! This is much higher than recovery rate for those who are not identified by a microchip or dog tag.
Prevent heartbreak by ensuring your pet is easily identifiable!
What is a Microchip?
Permanent form of ID
A microchip is NOT a GPS or tracking device but is a permanent form of identification for your puppy for life.
It is the size of a small grain of rice and is injected between the shoulder blades initially. On rare occasion it can migrate and even end up under the armpit.
How does it work?
It uses a radio frequency known as RFID to transmit an ID number stored on the microchip to a scanning device that reads the puppy’s unique number and displays it. This unique ID number is registered to you in the database so you can be reached immediately once your Puppy’s microchip is found.
Petkey or any other microchip monitoring company will send out an “Amber Alert” to all members once you inform them your puppy is lost. The only downside to a microchip is it must be read by a microchip scanning device. Most shelters, rescues and veterinary offices have these on hand so if your lost puppy gets checked for a microchip should they get lost they will be reunited with you very quickly.
Microchip Registration support
For customers of Puppies ‘N Love & Animal Kingdom, your puppy’s microchip registration will be activated the day you take home your puppy.
You do have access to this at www.petkey.org where you can change the password, add your new puppy’s name, photo and change any address or phone numbers if needed.
You can also reach PetKey support at: 866-973-8539
The microchip registration is valid for the Life of the puppy and there is no monthly charge to you. You also benefit from Lifetime behavior and training support through PetKey.
GPS Tracking Devices for Pets
Microchips are not tracking devices and cannot report a pet’s location, but that does not mean they are not effective. However, GPS (Global Positioning System) pet trackers are now available and provide cutting edge technology that allows you to pinpoint a pet’s location in real time.
You can also see a history of locations as reported by the tracker of where your pet may have been. Some rely on cellular data and towers for a GPS Tracker to transmit the location from anywhere at any time, but others use radio frequencies technology or Bluetooth instead.
The more you spend on a GPS tracker, the better the product and abilities. They can range in price from approximately $80 to $800.
The tracker that is best for you will depend on budget, where you live, and the level of risk you determine for your pet to run away. Many trackers also require a monthly subscription fee in addition to the tracker cost.
Does a GPS Tracker implant exist that can go inside my dog?
No. It is not currently possible to implant GPS device to track your pet. They are just too big and bulky and would be very painful. This is a common misconception when it comes to microchips.
Unlike ID Microchips, GPS Tracking devices are used for tracking the location of your dog in real time. Microchips simply provide an identification linking to you if they are found and scanned.
Other Forms of Identification for Your Pets
Collars
A traditional collar comes in many styles, colors, and patterns these days. When worn with an ID tag, this is the hallmark symbol for an owned pet. Lost dogs with a collar are much more likely to be reunited with their owner as it is a visual cue for someone to recognize they are a pet and not a feral animal. It is also much easier to access a phone number attached to a collar than one attached to a microchip since no scanner is involved. Instead of bringing a found pet to a vet or shelter, all someone must do is call the number on the collar. Responsible pet owners have collars with up-to-date ID tags and rabies tags from their county attached.
Spotted Pro Smart Pet ID Tag
We recommend this affordable Smart Pet tag that we carry in our stores. If your pet is lost and someone sees the tag on them, they can scan the QR code and all your registered information will pop up. They then can call you and tell you where your pet is. You will also get a location alert where the pet’s tag was last scanned.
There are no monthly fees and it has unlimited range. The tag is waterproof, needs no batteries, has multiple languages. Visit one of our stores to snag your own!
