303 Animal Clinic offers a pet microchiping service that greatly increases the chances of your pet being returned to you in the event that it gets lost or stolen. A microchip is placed under the pet's skin between the shoulder blades using a special syringe and needle. The chip is slightly smaller than a grain of rice and cannot be felt or seen once it is inserted. The picture to the right is an actual microchip next to a regular sized paper clip.

Most dogs and cats can have a microchip inserted without any type of anesthesia and do not experience discomfort any greater than when receiving a vaccination. For some pets a mild sedative may be necessary. Many clients elect to have a microchip done when their pet is being spayed or neutered. After insertion, the body attaches scar tissue to the microchip, which holds it firmly in place under the skin between the shoulder blades. A hand held scanner will display the microchip number when it is passed over the animal's back. The American Kennel Club (AKC) maintains a database that matches microchip numbers with owners. They provide this service for all dogs and cats, not just registered purebred animals. All local city animal shelters, humane societies, and animal clinics have scanners and they check all the stray dogs and cats that they find. We have witnessed first hand at our clinic the reunion of a lost pet with its owner made possible because the dog had a microchip. The city animal control officer scanned the dog and read the chip number. They then called the AKC database phone number and got the owner's name and phone number.

Microchips are permanent and they will function for the life of your pet. They provide a legal means of proving ownership. The cost is around $40 for the microchip and $14 for registration with the AKC. Consider the folloiwng statistics provided by the American Humane Association and the Humane Society of the United States:

• Each year, the nation's animal shelters receive 8 to 12 million pets and 30 to 60 percent are euthanized.
• Only 4 percent of cats and 14 percent of dogs in animal shelters are reunited with their owners.
• Impounding animals in shelters cost over $1 billion a year.

A microchip is the most effective way you can protect your pet and help prevent this tragic and costly problem in our nation's animal shelters. Please call us at 972-263-6300 if you have any questions or wish for your pet to have a microchip.