How to Locate a Chipped Animal
Micro-chipping your pet is like putting a permanent collar on your pet. The procedure involves placing a small chip the size of a grain of rice inside your dog. According to The Pet Medic, microchips are commonly placed between the shoulder blades by a vet or someone who works at an animal shelter. This is a minor procedure that is painless to the animal. This small chip contains a unique number that corresponds to a number in a national database which has your stored contact information. If an animal runs away and is later found, it can be scanned with a hand-held device by a shelter, dog catcher or veterinary clinic to locate the chip and eventually locate you.
Instructions
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How to Find a Chipped Animal
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Call your veterinary office to report your missing animal. Dog's Owner's Guide says many lost animals are taken to veterinary clinics to be scanned for a microchip.
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Call the local animal control center where runaway dogs are taken and give them a description of your pet.
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Have them scan all animals matching your description to see if there's a microchip. According to Colorado Animal Rescue, if your pet ends up in a shelter, a microchip could save its life because most dog pounds do not euthanize an animal if it is chipped.
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4
Update your contact information. You vet can update the microchip database if you're out of town or have moved.
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Tips & Warnings
If you think your pet was stolen and see an animal that looks like yours, you can use a microchip to prove it's yours. The Pet Medic recommends contacting your local police department for assistance in positively identifying your pet. A microchip lasts for about 25 years, so animals only need to be microchipped once.
While you can order microchips online, it's not a procedure that should be done at home. The Pet Medic recommends having a trained professional like your veterinarian insert the microchip.
