There's No Place Like HomeFinding our lost friends.

The United States Humane Society reports that approximately 8-10 million animals are taken to shelters each year. Unfortunately, only about 14% of the dogs and 3% of the cats are reunited with their owners. We all know how emotionally wrenching it can be to have a beloved pet disappear from home. However, there are steps that you can take to increase the likelihood that your pet will be returned to you. A basic collar and ID tag with the owner's name and phone number is a good place to start. Tags are readily available at local pet stores. The rabies tag issued by our hospital lists our hospital name, phone number, and tag serial number. This number is kept on file at our office and allows us to match it to your pet. We have reunited several pets with their owners in this way.

For those of you with pets who possess Houdini-like attributes and constantly lose their collars, there are permanent identification methods available. One of these is microchip implantation. A microchip is placed under the skin between the shoulder blades. The chip's identification number, along with pertinent pet and owner information, is registered with a central administration office. When a lost pet is taken to a shelter or veterinarian's office, a small handheld scanner is passed over the animal's body and the chip number registers on the L.E.D. display. The central registration office is contacted with this information and the owner is notified of the pet's location. The chip implantation is quick, simple, and no more painful than receiving a vaccine injection.

A second permanent method of identification is tattooing. Due to the discomfort inherent in this procedure, it is necessary for your pet to receive a mild sedative. The inside of the thigh is shaved, cleaned and then tattooed with an identification number. This number can be the owner's social security number, the pet's AKC registration number, or any other number the owner chooses. Again, a central registration office receives all pertinent information so that when a shelter or animal hospital contacts them, the owner can be notified.

Our hospital offers both methods of permanent identification. Call our office for further information. Whichever method you choose, you will significantly increase your chances of having your lost pet returned safely to you.