Millions of dogs go missing yearly; sadly, very few are reunited with their owners.  But it doesn’t have to be this way.  A growing number of conscientious dog owners now rely on microchips to protect their precious family pets.

Microchipping is a simple and safe procedure.  A veterinarian injects a microchip -- the size of a grain of rice -- beneath the surface of your dog’s skin between the shoulder blades. Similar to a routine shot, it takes only a few seconds, and most dogs don’t even feel it. A

microchip is permanent and will last the life of your dog.  Following the procedure, your dog must be registered with the microchip company (usually for a one-time fee), thus storing his unique, alpha-numeric code in the company’s database.

Whenever a lost dog appears at a shelter, humane society, or veterinary clinic, he will automatically be scanned for a microchip.  If there is one, the screen of the handheld scanner will display that dog’s specific code.  A simple call to the recovery database using a toll-free 800 number enables the code to be traced back to the dog’s owner. But in order for the system to work efficiently, all owners are cautioned to keep their contact information up to date.

Since no method of identification is perfect, the best way for owners to protect their dogs is to keep current ID tags on them, microchip them, and never allow them to roam free.

This month, make microchipping YOUR precious pet a MUST.