Microchipping for dogs - how effective is it?

Question

My dog ran away this morning. He has a microchip and I called the company to locate him. Have you ever had this happen and how effective is the chip in helping to locate the animal?
Also, I called the county shelter and they said they are backed up due to the holiday so if I don't hear anything to come down and look for him. I don't want someone else to adopt my dog!
What should I do?? Does the chip work? The chip company is AVID.

Luckily, my dog was found by a woman who works at an animal hospital. He is now safely back home. Thanks for all your suggestions!

Answer 1

Even chipped you need to put ads in the paper and signs up in the area. Not all people will turn a dog in that is found.

Chips are very effective as long as they are scanned for. It is proof of ownership so say you find your dog and someone has just kept him you can still prove ownership with the chip and get him back.

Do go to the shelters in your area, the day after the 4th there are a lot of dogs turned in as strays b.c they run off during fireworks. So it is possible that your dog is there and has not been scanned yet. Take pictures to the vet offices, groomers, shelters, anywhere dogs are allowed to come into and post them so people will be aware you are looking for your dog.

Tattoos are nice but they do fade in time. We have had dogs come into the shelter with unreadable tattoos and so had no way to contact the owners. With a chip we have always been able to scan and contact owners as long as the information is current with the company. If your phone numbers have changed since you had your dog chipped now would be the time to update that so any shelter that finds your dog can contact you.

Yes chips can migrate but people who scan for chips know that and do not just scan the back of the neck they run the scanner over the entire dog to be sure that they catch the chip if there is one there.

Answer 2

AVID Chips ARE effective but you should note that they are not GPS devices and can only be read if the shelter / vet has a reader. My dog has one but over the last year it slipped down into his front right arm. We found this when he had a blocked urinary system and required an x-ray. The vet needs to place the reader so close to the chip we were told it was unlikely to be found by most vets. We leave a colar on our dog with our home phone number.

My friends dog actually has two chips because the vet scanned him when he was adopted and did not find any chips. After placing a chip in him they scanned him again to make sure it was working and found both chips (the new one and the one he had from the previous owner).

Answer 3

As long as your dog is taken to a shelter, or a vet then you should get your dog back. The AVID company has given every shelter in the US a hand held wand to search for microchips in lost dogs. However, I would definitely recommend that you go down to your local shelter to look for your pet. I have heard of microchipped dogs slipping through the cracks before because someone at the shelter "forgot" to scan them.
I would also recommend contacting all of the vets in your area to make them aware that you have a lost dog. So that they can be on the look out for him. It's always a good idea to make up flyers with your dogs pic and take them to the shelters and vets.
I work for a vet in Texas and we will scan every dog that comes into our clinic that the client tells us they found, or adopted. We always like to double check just to be sure.

Answer 4

Chipping does nothing re theft. It can useful for finding a lost dog and that's it. You SHOULD get the dog chipped. If she gets lost for any reason, your more likely to get her back. BTW, I grew up with a Sheltie. Great, great dogs. It's funny, times have changed: we just let our dog run loose on his own - as did everyone else in our ' hood. Mind you it wasn't a big city! He would always stick close to home - that's the nature of the breed. Anyway, the theft concern is kind of moot, because the simple fact is the yard option doesn't give her what she needs: exercise, exploration, social interaction. They are very smart, active, and social little dogs and she'll become bored and lonely in the yard for hours on end. And they will bark, so you might inadvertently create a barking problem if she's bored and/or has separation anxiety. Just hanging in a yard is NOT exercise, especially for an active herding dog. Remember also you're changing your home, but also her home. That can lead to anxiousness and separation anxiety and the last thing you want is for her to be by herself for hours on end. You and her would be better off finding a dog walker or a doggy daycare. With a 12 hour shift, I'd arrange for a dog walker 2 X per day - say 30 mins each. Lots of dog walkers do it that way. Hope that helps!

Answer 5

we chipped one of our dogs because she got into trouble and it was part of her punishment. She is now 14 and we had it scanned to get the number for our records, it moved from her neck to her shoulder. That took almost 10 years to travel in her body like that. We have never had to locate her, how ever you can call the number that is with your company and they can tell you if the animal has been scanned recently, and where. Unless the animal has been wanded there is no way of knowing where they are. the animal shelter can be called every hour on the hour until they close to find out if it there.

Answer 6

If the shelter gets your dog picked up they scan all dogs comming in and when they scan they will get the chip number. Then it is just a call to AVID and they will have your info.
Most of the vets and clinics and rescues and all shelters have sacnners so any of those type of people can get your information and get your dog home.
Plase check the shelters and put up some flyers just in case.
Good luck I hope you can find your pet.

Answer 7

The chips are generally good IF the person or agency that gets the dog actually scans it. Did you ask the shelter if they scan incoming animals?

In any case, I strongly recommend going to the shelter(s) in your area YOURSELF to check if your dog is there. Sometimes the shelter workers are very busy, sometimes they don't have a good knowledge of dog breeds and will think your dog is something else. Sometimes they get the sex wrong. Better to see for yourself.

You might also want to put up posters in the area with a picture AND description of your dog (and a reward if possible). Tack them up everywhere you can find, including telephone poles, store bulletin boards (especially pet stores) and vet offices. Make sure all the vets in your area are aware of your missing dog, in case he gets injured and someone brings him in (or in case someone finds him and decides to keep him).

Answer 8

I am sorry your dog ran away. But, the chip is only as effective as the person who scans it when they find the dog. Hopefully it would be a shelter that remembers to scan for the chip.
Good luck in finding your dog.

Answer 9

Avid chips are very effective, assuming you shelter has a reader. Avid will supply your information to the shelter if notified, I would go to the shelter to see if he is there.

Also contact:

area vets
the police
dog warden
fire department
sanitation department

These are services that are out in neighborhoods and may see him or will be contacted if someone else sees him.

Good Luck!

Answer 10

I have pitbulls and they all are chiped. you should call all your local vet offices and let them know your dog is missing so if someone brings him in then they can scann the chip. I did have one of my dogs stolen and after thre days someone had taken to the vets office and they scanned him and since I had called about the dog missing I got him back. As far as your local shelter they have to hold any animal for 5 days before adopting him