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In the last 5 to 8 years technology has gotten better , so much better, in fact, that it is now possible to have microchips injected into your pet. These chips are meant to help a pet owner.
If your pet gets stolen or runs away and ends up in a shelter, the shelter will scan the animal's back with what looks like a scanner at your community grocery store. If they find a chip in your pet they can bring up your information online and contact you so you can get your beloved animal friend back.

Now, I know that you're probably thinking about how cruel it is to implant a chip into an animal, as this view has been expressed to me by many friends. These chips are the size of a grain of rice. When you think about it, isn't it worth possibly saving your pet's life?
Nowadays, however, when you adopt your pet, the chip is automatically implanted by a veterinarian. That's why it costs more to adopt a pet, the price if the injection is included in the price of the adoption.
When I spoke with someone at Kitchener-Waterloo's Humane Society she told me that when speaking with a veterinarian she was told that there is no downside to micro-chipping. The chips don't travel throughout the body and there is no irritation after the injection.
The area in which the chip will be implanted is iced before the procedure (no anesthetic is used) and the chip is then injected using a small needle. The whole procedure takes no more than 10 minutes.
If you have an older pet who you adopted before micro-chipping became standard procedure, you can get it done at your vet for $50 to $60. It is done all over Canada and the United States.
I was told that every month 8,000 animals are returned to their owners, in the U.S. thanks to the chips. Forget your fear and realize that this is an investment that could save the life of your furry friend and save you some despair.

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Marko.
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