Paige Desmond
Many have experienced the pain and stress that come with losing a pet. Animals can run away, get lost, or, in rare cases, be “dognapped.”
For those wishing to avoid such trauma, a quick trip to the vet is all that’s necessary.
Introduced in the 1980s, “microchipping” is becoming increasingly popular among pet owners and is mandatory in many shelter adoption programs.
The process is simple: a small microchip—roughly the size of a grain of rice—is injected between the shoulders or the neck scruff area of a dog or cat. The pet owner then fills out contact forms, and that information is registered into a database provided by the chip manufacturer.
Each chip has a unique identifying code which is picked up by a hand-held scanner.
Veterinarians, shelters, and animal control officers typically have these scanners and can use them to help reunite owners with their pets.
Here in Fort Frances, the Nor-West Animal Clinic has such a scanner.
After scanning the microchip and retrieving the code, a call to the 24-hour, toll-free database number will give the contact information for that particular animal.
Dr. Dan Pierroz performs microchipping at the Nor-West Animal Clinic and highly urges pet owners adopt this technology. “We would certainly recommend microchipping for sure,” he said.
With no anaesthesia necessary, the chips are injected quickly and easily.
With the recommended rate for implanting chips in Canada being $63.70, Dr. Pierroz said the chips are affordable, as well. “It’s a very worthwhile method,” he remarked.
Dr. Pierroz is not the only fan of microchipping. Local bylaw enforcement officer Arlene Byrnes said microchipping would make it much easier to reunite owners with their animals.
“It sure helps us identify the pet owners,” she explained.
Animal control officers here currently use dog tags to locate owners when they come across a stray.
Although it’s a local municipal bylaw that all dogs must be licensed, Byrnes revealed this often is not the case—making it far more difficult to locate the home of a stray.
She also noted stricter enforcement of this bylaw is looming.
Animal control keeps a list of those who have purchased dog licences and in the event bylaw enforcers are in contact with animals without tags, the owners will be informed of the legal requirement, and their fulfillment or failure of this requirement will be monitored.
Kenora/Dryden OSPCA inspector Arista Wogenstahl hopes microchipping will catch on in the area. “Because we cover such a huge area, microchipping is really great,” she said.
Even if an animal is far from home (for example, a pet brought into Fort Frances animal control after being picked up in Dryden), the technology still works.
While Byrnes said animal control has a “pretty good success rate” facilitating reunions based on dog tags, something Dr. Pierroz confirmed, she agrees microchipping is the best way to ensure identification.
Even though not all microchips can be picked up by all scanners due to advances in the technology, the experts still think microchipping is a worthwhile venture.
“Ideally, the chip is best way to go,” Dr. Pierroz said.
For those interested in microchipping their pets, a “Microchip Day” will be held at Nor-West Animal Clinic sometime in September as a fundraiser for “Rescue North,” an organization replacing the Kenora/Dryden OSPCA’s shelter capacities.
Dr. Pierroz and staff will donate their time and facility for the fundraiser.
Fees will be set by “Rescue North,” with all proceeds going to the shelter/rescue organization.
