micro-chipping your animals

Old Jan 3, 2009, 8:19 am
  #16  
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Originally Posted by jennj99738
Microchipping is the first start; however, everyone must remember to update their information with the company that makes the chip if you move or change phone numbers. If you don't, and the pet gets lost, the microchipping will be less helpful.

I also have a HomeAgain chip placed in Angel. For most dogs the procedure is painless as she didn't even react when it was done and I highly recommend that everyone give their pets an ID chip.

The advice given by jennj99738 is extremely important as many people totally forget to update their pet's information when they move.
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Old Jan 3, 2009, 9:15 am
  #17  
 
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I foster abandoned or strays until we can find either the parents or get them adopted. Tags and chips are a must! It's amazing how many pet owners don't chip or tag their pets.

The head of our foster group just brings over her scanner whenever I get a new foster dog in. In all instances when the dog was chipped or had tags we were able to get them back to their owners.

The couple of abandoned ones I've fostered had no chips or tags and the owners were never found. This includes the two puppies that were thrown from a moving vehicle.

If you are having someone watch your pets when you are out of town have a new tag made that has their phone number on it in case they get loose.
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Old Jan 3, 2009, 12:08 pm
  #18  
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I live in an area where often dogs and cats are dumped and left to be on their own. We have many wild cats around. Survival of the fittest. The former pets have a very rough time. One of my neighbors makes every attempt to catch the strays and have the checked for micro chips.

Why do some people feel that dumping pets is better than taking them to a shelter?

My dogs are chipped and we keep their tags up to date. Three times this years I've found dog collars minus the pets! Fat lot of good that does for the pet.
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Old Jan 3, 2009, 8:28 pm
  #19  
 
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Originally Posted by kellio33

If you are having someone watch your pets when you are out of town have a new tag made that has their phone number on it in case they get loose.
Great idea.
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Old Jan 3, 2009, 9:09 pm
  #20  
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Eddie is microchipped as well and I highly recommend this to any PET PARENT>

I have urged my clients to get their Cats microchipped. Many of them travel at least several times a year or a month!

kellio33... I never thought of adding the pet sitter name and phone (like me ) to the tag. Will put it in my next CatsUp newsletter.
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Old Jan 3, 2009, 9:11 pm
  #21  
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Originally Posted by cepheid
Our two cats are microchipped because we adopted them and the shelter requires all adopted animals to be chipped. Our two dogs will be microchipped within the next couple of weeks because, as of 2 years ago, our city will not issue dog licenses without a chip. The chips used in this area are HomeAgain.

BTW, for those of you using HomeAgain, you can get the first year for free with promotion code HOL07. It still works as of a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, it's not good for renewals... If anyone knows of a promo for free renewal, please post.
Our vet takes care of the first year of the HomeAgain chip, but thanks!
Originally Posted by RSSrsvp
I also have a HomeAgain chip placed in Angel. For most dogs the procedure is painless as she didn't even react when it was done and I highly recommend that everyone give their pets an ID chip.

The advice given by jennj99738 is extremely important as many people totally forget to update their pet's information when they move.
Cobaka jumped when they chipped her. Although, seeing the needle, I think I'd have done more than jump.
Originally Posted by kellio33
If you are having someone watch your pets when you are out of town have a new tag made that has their phone number on it in case they get loose.
I like that idea! In our case, my parents usually dog sit, and since they'd be the contact if we couldn't be reached, that makes a lot of sense for us! Thanks!
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Old Jan 3, 2009, 9:16 pm
  #22  
 
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Originally Posted by jennj99738
...
So, everyone should make sure that the shelter is the first place you visit if your pet gets out--and make sure you go there personally everyday. Do not rely on the staff to be able to tell you if your pet is at the shelter. They're too overworked even though it should be part of their job....
This is excellent advice. I volunteer at our local shelter and while I think they are really trying to do things well , I would NOT want to rely on what they think for being reunited with my lost pet. Go yourself and go often.

Originally Posted by cepheid
Our two cats are microchipped because we adopted them and the shelter requires all adopted animals to be chipped. Our two dogs will be microchipped within the next couple of weeks because, as of 2 years ago, our city will not issue dog licenses without a chip. The chips used in this area are HomeAgain.

BTW, for those of you using HomeAgain, you can get the first year for free with promotion code HOL07. It still works as of a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, it's not good for renewals... If anyone knows of a promo for free renewal, please post.
My little ones came microchipped from the shelter, too, and from what the shelter staff told me, the HomeAgain renewals are not strictly necessary. My understanding is that some of the special services will not be available if membership is not maintained, BUT the data on the animal will be retained so they could still be traced if the chip were read at a vet's office or shelter. I'm not sure if address updates would be viable or not. That would be important to know if you moved.

The shelter where I got my cats has itself permanently listed on the chip record as a contact, so that is also a fallback of sorts. In their last newsletter there was a story of a pet that was lost when movers left a door open while packing the truck. Despite searching then and several returns to the area to search, the pet was gone. More than a year later the shelter got a call from a vet with the pet. They took custody of the pet and via google was able to track down the owner who was in a different part of the country by that point, and who promptly and happily reclaimed the pet. If your pet came from a shelter or breeder, it would be good to know if there were such a permanent record for your pet, as that would be another place to contact if the pet were ever lost.
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Old Jan 3, 2009, 9:52 pm
  #23  
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Here's another story about why microchipping your pets is important. This dog was returned to his owners after he'd been missing for over five years.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08330/930562-51.stm
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Old Jan 5, 2009, 9:01 pm
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by Telfes
...
My little ones came microchipped from the shelter, too, and from what the shelter staff told me, the HomeAgain renewals are not strictly necessary. My understanding is that some of the special services will not be available if membership is not maintained, BUT the data on the animal will be retained so they could still be traced if the chip were read at a vet's office or shelter. I'm not sure if address updates would be viable or not. That would be important to know if you moved. ...
I'm confirming what I said above about renewal for Home Again not being strictly necessary in order to retain the basic id service. This thread reminded me to update my kitties profiles and while there, I checked and found this from the Home Again website:

"As an existing HomeAgain client you are entitled to our basic recovery service for life. None of the new services (proactive recovery, emergency service, online health information) will be available to you unless you enroll with the new HomeAgain. There is an annual enrollment fee of $14.99."
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Old Jan 6, 2009, 6:31 am
  #25  
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Originally Posted by Telfes
I'm confirming what I said above about renewal for Home Again not being strictly necessary in order to retain the basic id service. This thread reminded me to update my kitties profiles and while there, I checked and found this from the Home Again website:

"As an existing HomeAgain client you are entitled to our basic recovery service for life. None of the new services (proactive recovery, emergency service, online health information) will be available to you unless you enroll with the new HomeAgain. There is an annual enrollment fee of $14.99."
Thanks! That's reassuring, although I'll probably end up doing the annual renewal.
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Old Jan 11, 2009, 3:23 pm
  #26  
 
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Out 3 cats Frank, Dolly, and Lily, are all micro-chipped using Home Again. Never had any problems with the chips. Frank got lost once for a week but, as it turns out, he was in a neighbor's basement while they were away. He sneaked out of our house and into their basement the day they were leaving. I can see why they say curiosity killed the cat.

Bobette
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Old Jan 14, 2009, 7:32 pm
  #27  
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We had two rescued huskies, and in this instance, microchips would not have helped.

The kennel owner's husband drank too much, it appears, and left the kennels unsecured one dark and stormy night we were on vacation. (Apologies to Bulwer-Lytton fans!) They got loose and ran - one was found by some wonderful folks who owned a storage facility - they lured Shawna into a unit, kept her fed and watered and left messages on our answering machine.

Some idiot found our sweet Tanya running on a country road and shot her.

OTOH, we have had all our dogs chipped since that became an option Shawna and Tanya were tattooed,) and after that, we have our veterinarian's telephone number on the collar tag and for contact information (with her permission, of course.) We may be on the road, but our veterinarian's office will be open (except Sundays,) knows our dogs and has our contact information.



Originally Posted by kipper
I can understand getting her micro-chipped. Since Cobaka is part husky, she likes running, so while we're careful to not let her off leash, I fear that if she did get off leash she might take off running. With me, she'll stop immediately, and drop to the ground when I call her, but I worry if she'd do that with my father, when he's watching her, or our friends who dog sit for us.
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Old Feb 2, 2009, 9:26 pm
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Originally Posted by JDiver
We had two rescued huskies, and in this instance, microchips would not have helped.

The kennel owner's husband drank too much, it appears, and left the kennels unsecured one dark and stormy night we were on vacation. (Apologies to Bulwer-Lytton fans!) They got loose and ran - one was found by some wonderful folks who owned a storage facility - they lured Shawna into a unit, kept her fed and watered and left messages on our answering machine.

Some idiot found our sweet Tanya running on a country road and shot her.
Oh my gosh! What a horrible set of experiences! I was on an animal forum recently getting some product input and there was a thread there about the horrors of boarding & even petsitters and yours definitely belongs in the Hall of Infamy. Poor, poor Tanya. I'm so glad Shawna fared better, but that must have been terribly traumatic for everyone. I have thus far managed to find petsitters in the form of former students and thankfully I have not had a bad experience with any of them (I don't count the house being messy -- if the cats are well and the house standing, it is at least ok.). I am so sorry for what your dogs went through.
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Old Feb 2, 2009, 9:58 pm
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Originally Posted by JDiver
Some idiot found our sweet Tanya running on a country road and shot her.
That is horrible! Fortunately we have friends that we can alternate babysitting for that are extremely trustable.

Sorry for your loss,
Dale
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Old Feb 17, 2009, 7:56 am
  #30  
 
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My German Shepherd Dog has two microchips. He has one that he got six years ago and isn't an ISO standard chip, and another ISO standard one he got when he was microchipped and tittered for easier access to Asia, the EU, the Caribbean, and the UK. Maybe as a result of the extra circuitry, he's set off metal detectors a couple times that were turned up a bit too high. No worries though, as he enjoys a good TSA pat down.
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