If your pet becomes lost or is stolen, the chance of your pet returning home is very small. Without proper identification, a found pet may end up in an animal rescue shelter or become the new pet of the family that finds it. Stolen animals are often sold, and the buyers aren’t at risk of being caught because there’s no way to track down the animal.

With pet micro chipping, your veterinarian can implant a tiny microchip underneath your pet’s skin. This microchip will become registered in a database and easily scanned by pet hospitals and rescue shelters. If you haven’t considered micro chipping your pet, here are some reasons you may want to invest in this inexpensive, simple procedure.

A Higher Rate of Return

More than half of micro chipped dogs are reunited with their owners, as opposed to less than 20% of dogs without microchips. Cats with a microchip have a 30% chance of being returned as opposed to less than 5% of cats who are not micro chipped. If your pet spends a lot of time outdoors or has a high risk of wandering away, a microchip will increase the chance that you will get your pet back.

National Database of Registration

When your veterinarian microchips your pet the number is entered into a national database used by veterinarians and rescue shelters all over the country. There are even travel organizations that use the national registry to help locate pets that became lost during international or domestic travel. This means that if you travel from one state to another and lose your pet during your travels, a local veterinarian or shelter in that area could scan your dog or cat’s microchip and contact you.

This database is one of the top ways that pets are reunited with their owners. Even if your pet is an indoor pet, it’s still a good idea to invest in a microchip just in case of a natural disaster. Families unexpectedly lose their pets all the time due to damage caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and floods. Pets escape and have trouble finding their way home because the debris and chaos from a natural disaster makes it difficult for a pet to locate its home. Ask your veterinarian about the microchip process and consider having it done soon.

For more information about obtaining a microchip from a veterinarian, visit website.