Here's Why You Should Microchip Your Pet

On our way into the office this morning we found this ravenous little guy running around in the street and eating drywall that was crumbled up on the curb. So we fashioned a leash with a T-shirt and brought him inside. But what then? Following the advice of Patrick Kwan at the Humane Society of the U.S., we took the pup to get scanned at the local vet, to find out if he had a microchip. Lo and behold, he does!

His name is Boots and his owner had recently reported him missing. They're being reunited today. Bye-bye, Boots! This happy ending could be yours for a very low cost; Kwan tells us you can get your animals microchipped for just $25 at Prospect Park in Brooklyn next next Saturday Aug 14th, and at Coney Island on Tuesday Aug 24th, at the Brooklyn Cyclones "Bark in the Park Day."

Kwan tells us, "Microchips provide an extra level of protection in case your pet loses his collar and tags and can help ensure a happy reunion if the unthinkable happens and your companion gets lost. For lost pets whose owners are not found, the best case scenario is that they will get adopted into a loving home, the worst is that they can be euthanized at a shelter." Here’s a general Q&A on microchips. And if you find a lost pet without a microchip, here are some animal rescue shelters you should try: Animal Haven Soho, Dog Habitat Inc., and Barc.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on August 9, 2010 1:40 PM

Comments [rss]

silver

I wonder why Gothamist has a bed bug cover in their office...........

ItchyGoiter

"On our way into the office this morning we"

Do you guys travel in a pack all the time, or what?

Jen Chung

All the time. Communal bathroom trips, too, and everyone was present when I had my baby.

thelexiphane

That's where The Go! Team came up w/ its band name.

youngpro

finally some nice news today!

RevWaldo

Nice one!

But it does raise the old ethical quandary: what if the dog or cat is running away for a perfectly good reason? "OK, first week in, Friday he leaves me locked up by myself in his friggin' one-bedroom apartment for 20 hours straight, dry kibble in the bowl, no A/C, then 2:00 AM he stumbles in drunk of course, and has the nerve to get mad at me for peeing on the kitchen floor. Not on the living room rug, mind you, which I was so tempted to do by that point. I'm like, that's it, first chance I get, I'm gone, baby..."

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

what an awesome deed. Gothamist rules.

grandzu

Can I bring a toddler to be microchipped for $25 also?

Mr Mel

Can anyone imagine how many mysterious disappearances would have been solved if lets say Judge Crater, Jimmy Hoffa or the Lindbergh baby would have had one?.

MT

Good on your for doing the right thing and not just walking past this cutey!

moorecor

Great service but what they dont tell you is that you have to pay a yearly fee to keep it active... from the ASPCA anyway.

moorecor

Hmmm, ive been getting something in the mail about renewal of my microchips...

SatelliteTimes

My cats are microchipped, no annual fee & these chips are 6 years old. When I move house, I simply go onto the website and update their new address, phone number, etc. Their microchips also store emergency contact numbers. If you've got cats they should be wearing breakaway collars to begin with, so their tags can easily be lost.

If people are going to cry about potential tumors, we need to see some statistics & proof.

heypatrick

Microchipping is a one-time fee. The $25 cost at the upcoming Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals events is a one-time cost as well. The $25 cost includes the microchip, procedure, and registration - there will not be any additional costs or recurring charges.

That said, some places offer additional services such as calling/emailing/mailing you every few months to make sure and verify that your contact info is still current. That may be the recurring charge that you are referring to.

Jen Chung

I am pretty sure that when I got my cats microchipped, there was an option of paying a yearly fee, but we didn't opt for it.

ABSORB

Thats all well and good but they can potentially cause tumors. I would just use a good old fashioned name tag

jibbly

Chief Wiggum: That's some mighty fine leash fashioning there, Lou.

Officer Lou: Thanks, Chief, I made it out of the dirty t-shirt I carry in my back pocket all the time!

(BTW, is that TWINE? Hahaha, working at Gothamist must be fun. Le sigh.)

lmd

No, you got the wrong number. This is nine-one... two.

jibbly

Bake him away, toys!

Jen Chung

We bought the dog a leash and some toys! We took Boots to the vet without the toys, and when the vet found the microchip, he stayed there, so we're going to donate the toys to Barc.