National Pet ID Week April 18-24

From Happy Tails Books:

April 18^th-24^th is National Pet ID week. Why is it important to microchip your pets? If this example doesn’t convince you, nothing will: Shortly after moving into a new home, a woman, we’ll just call her Kyla, got two foster dogs. It was a beautiful day, so Kyla thought the dogs would prefer the yard to the house for the hour she would be gone. What she didn’t know was that her yard’s second gate, which was not visible from the patio, had not been properly secured. So within a few minutes of Kyla’s departure, her new fosters took a walk. One, who happened to be wearing Kyla’s cat’s collar, was found instantly by a neighbor and returned. The other, Bill, who was terrified of everything and didn’t have tags on, decided to hide in the woods.

THREE WEEKS LATER Bill was finally discovered by a jogger. He was down to 13 pounds from 21, and he had a gash so deep on his leg that his muscle was exposed. The jogger called animal control, and Bill was brought to the local shelter where they scanned him and found his microchip. Because of his microchip, Bill was quickly reunited with his foster (now forever) mom and together they made the long road to recovery. Bill went on to become a well-socialized, impeccably trained (most of the time) best friend.

Okay, you caught me! I’m Kyla and Bill is my dog. It’s embarrassing to admit this happened, but the story is not nearly as tragic as it could have been. Had he not been microchipped, Bill most likely would have been euthanized like the other 56% of animals who enter shelters (National Counsel on Pet Population Study).

Having it happen to you is not a good way to learn that pets can get lost, and though microchipping your pet will not prevent it from wandering off, it will at least give your pet a better chance of finding its way home.

Need a Microchip? Simply ask your vet. Alternatively, do an internet search or scan your newspaper for upcoming pet-related events which often have microchipping booths. If you’re in the Denver area, bring your dog down to MidAmerica Boston Terrier Rescue’s Annual Bash on May 22^nd where they will be offering microchipping for $25.

From Mary

Kyla has more wonderful dog tales for you to read.  Be sure to check out the latest Happy Tails book in their Lost Souls: Found series. And yes, my dog is microchipped!!