Yes – you should microchip your pet in Brevard County.
As a responsible pet owner here in the Space Coast, you want to do everything you can to give your pet a happy and healthy life. While you may have taken extra precautions to ensure your pet can’t run away by providing them with a fenced-in yard and a collar with identification tags, there is always a chance your pet may go missing.
Animals may escape from their home, be stolen, or they might just not be able to resist chasing after another animal (squirrel!) while they are out for a walk. It is estimated that one out of three pets will become lost during their lifetime. While we may not want to think of this scary situation, it is important to be proactive in providing your beloved pet with the best identification option to increase their chances of being returned to their home if they become lost.
What is a Microchip?
While providing your pet with a collar and identification tags is important, these are not permanent. Animals can slide out of their collar, the collar can be broken or damaged, or it can be taken off by another person. A microchip is a secure and permanent option for animal identification. Microchips are placed under the loose skin between your pet’s shoulder blades with a quick and (mostly) painless injection. Your pet won’t be able to tell the difference between the microchip injection and their routine vaccinations.
Microchipping is a routine procedure that can be provided by your pet’s breeder, veterinarian, or other animal care service provider. The device is very small, about the size of a grain of rice, and non-invasive.
Microchips are not just for dogs; they can be used on a large range of pets, including cats, horses, and most other mammals.
On average, microchips cost under $50, which is a small price to pay for the peace of mind you receive knowing your pet has a better chance at making it home if they ever become lost. If you adopt a pet, most shelters cover this cost with the adoption fee.
Register Your Microchip
The last and most important step of the microchipping process is to register the chip with a national pet recovery database. Your contact information will be associated with the unique number of your pet’s microchip. Should your pet become lost, animal shelters and veterinarians will be able to scan your pet’s microchip to retrieve the contact information and connect you back with your pet.
Whether you bought your pet from a breeder or adopted it from an animal shelter, it is important to ensure it is microchipped. If your pet has an existing microchip, you can consult with your breeder, animal shelter, or veterinarian to ensure that the chip is registered and the information is up to date. If you have recently changed your contact information, be sure to update your pet’s microchip information as soon as possible.
While the microchip is not a GPS with specific location information, it does provide an easy and accessible way to quickly access contact information to connect you back to your pet.
While it is difficult to think of your pet becoming lost, it is important to provide them with the best chance of returning home. Microchips are an affordable, permanent solution to provide pet identification. Losing a pet is a very stressful situation. Check out our information about what to do if your pet is lost, so you are prepared and have a plan of action should your pet become lost.
Is your pet microchipped?
Melanie is the owner and founder of Brevard’s premier trusted in-home pet care company. With a Sociology & Criminal Justice degree from the University of Tennessee, she took her corporate security background and combined it with her lifelong passion for animals – that’s how Space Coast Pet Services was born in 2016! She is certified in Pet First Aid & CPR, insured, and proudly completed a full background check successfully. She is committed to ongoing training and education for herself and her team. To learn more, click here.
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