Valuing what’s Important

As the old saying goes, there’s nothing constant in life except change.  In the late 1960’s police departments across the country started a campaign to have everyone mark all their valuables with their social security number.  If I look closely, all the furniture and other valuables I have inherited from my grandparents have a social security number etched on them.  Can you imagine doing that today? 

And, back in the 1960s no one was putting a microchip in their pets – the technology didn’t exist.  Can you imagine NOT doing that today?  The way we identify what’s valuable to us has certainly changed over time.

Microchipping is a comparatively safe way of identifying that your beloved pet belongs to you.  Certainly some people believe that microchips cause cancer, are unsafe or are an otherwise inappropriate way to identify your pet.  But, for now, it’s pretty much the best we’ve got. 

And, as the other old saying goes … nothing is perfect.  Microchips are typically implanted between the shoulder blades, but did you know they can migrate as far as the tail or down the legs?  Or, that they can dislodge and work their way out of the skin leaving your dog completely un-identified?  When was the last time you asked your vet to double check the location of your pet’s microchip?  What would happen if your dog got loose, was picked up by animal control, who then couldn’t identify your dog because there was no microchip to be found?

And, while we’re on the subject … when was the last time you updated your microchip information with your registering company?  What if the only number they have on file is your old cell phone number?  The most common companies are AVID and Home Again, but a quick google search will also yield companies who will register your chip and in case of emergency put out an alert to surrounding rescues and shelters in your area.

Accidents happen.  Please take a moment to ensure that you protect your pet.