To protect their pets, many owners turn to microchips. Microchips are tiny transponders, about the size of a grain of rice, that can be implanted under your pet’s skin by most veterinarians and animal shelters; some shelters implant chips in all pets they place.
A microchip isn’t the same as a GPS device, and it can’t be used to track your pet’s whereabouts. It’s simply a unique identifier (think of it as your pet’s social security number) that is implanted so it can’t be lost.
Microchips are an essential backup option for pet identification but should never be the main one. Reading a microchip takes a special scanner, one that an animal control officer or shelter will have, but your neighbor down the street will not. And if your dog or cat wanders off, it’s likely to be a private citizen who encounters them first. That’s why, in the event of accidental separation, identification tags are your pet’s first ticket home.
That said, microchips provide an extra level of protection in case your pet loses their collar or tags. Studies show that pets with chips are much more likely to be returned to their owners than those who lack one.
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