A recent study found that microchipped pets who were brought to an animal shelter were returned to their owners in 3 out of 4 cases.  There were 53 shelters participating in the study, each agreeing to keep records of pets who were found to have a microchip.  Of the pets that had the chip, 73% of the owners were found.

Surprisingly, some animal microchips were not detected during the first scan.  Some required multiple scans, either during a medical exam or prior to euthanasia.  This finding reveals the need for shelters to scan dogs and cats multiple times for the presence of a microchip.

Another important finding of the study?  If your dog or cat has a microchip, it is imperative that you keep your contact information up to date.  If your phone number or address changes at any time, you should make the change in the microchip database immediately.  Sadly, 35% of the owners’ phone numbers were disconnected while 9.8% of the chips weren’t even registered.

So talk to your veterinarian about placing a microchip in your dog or cat.  After all, it only takes a moment for a family pet to become lost.  And your furry friend can only count on you to bring him or her back.