microchipping pets?

Question

What do you think about microchipping your pets.

I don't think they should it is against my religion and putting something in to someone or animals body is just horrible and now they want to put them in people.Just the government wanting more and more power I think it is bad if you can't put a collar and tag on your dog and you are so irresponsible that if you lose your dog or cat then you don't need one.

Answer 1

Not my pets, children, or me. Sounds to much like the Revelations in the Bible.

Answer 2

its very good if your going to be travelling and/or have a pet that may get away from you now and then. It's only a passive means of identification though. Which means that you can't look at the animal and know he's been microchipped. With collars/tags, tattoos and ear tipping, however, you can look at the pet and know he/she has been seen by a vet and can be located via the tags and tattoo number. (Ear tipping is usually seen in stray or feral cats that have been spayed or neutered to control over population of pets.) It's relatively painless although the needle is rather large. It's more uncomfortable for small dogs and some cats. The needle is about a 10-12 gauge and holds a small rice sized granule that has the microchip recorded into it. When a scanner is moved over the area the microchip number comes up and can be tracked down to the owner by means of a country wide database. Like i said it's good for travelling, but you must have your cat/dog put into the national database or else if you lose them on the trip and they aren't registered then you will have no way of having the pet traced back to you when or if they find it. For local areas, microchipping is also a good idea because most vet hospitals and animal control officers carry a microchip scanner. But if your dog has no identification as to which hospital he goes then the officer will have a hard time tracking down the owners. You really need a collar and tags! It can also be good just in case the collar and tags fall off, but again you need to have him registered with the national database and I believe that is around 45$ maybe cheaper.

Answer 3

I think all pet owners should microchip their pets. All 5 of mine (3 cats, 2 dogs) are microchipped and my German Shepherd Dog is going to possibly get tattoo identification (required to be shown in German-style/SV conformation). I use and reccomend AVID Friend Chips. Another company is Home Again, however I have never had personal experience with their recovery of animals. Both companies provide scanners for free to rescues, shelters, and veterinarians to provide maximum chances of recovery. Even if animal control picks up a DOA dog or cat, they will scan the animal for a microchip. The $15 dollar lifetime membership fee is a small price to pay for the increased chance of being reunited with your pet. All of this said, you should still keep current ID tags on your dog's collar and the collar ON THE DOG at all times.

Answer 4

I think it is absolutely essential to pet ownership. A dog can't tell you his address, his phone number, his mom's name...and in emergency situations (think about the horrible problem with lost pets in Hurricane Katrina) when collars are lost it may be the *only* way to track down the proper owners.

Also, my breeder had an interesting reason for making microchips mandatory. One of her prize b*tchs was stolen from her property. Not only was she a top dog, but her son's personal favorite and best friend. Her loyal customers looked everywhere for Paris, and lo and behold, someone saw her in an advertisement in Ohio (Paris was a very distinctive, gorgeous dapple with distinctive eyes). It didn't matter what my breeder's papers said, that the dog clearly knew her little-boy best friend (and did everything possible to tell the humans that it was HER family)...in the eyes of the law there was no way to prove that Paris belonged to them! Until she remembered that they'd had Paris chipped. The police scanned for it, it popped up vindicating her family and put a thief behind bars.

Though I've never lost my dogs, they both have microchips for the above reasons. What happens if I'm at work and an earthquake hits? What if I physically can't make it home to get them? What happens if someone breaks in and takes my babies (it's happened a lot around here)? I feel better knowing that, in a situation like that, I could always be reuinted with the two most important members of my family.

Also, requires surgery? WHat? It's an injection with a (granted) very large needle. You can get it done for under $40 at your vet--my cocker got hers done in conjunction with a spay at a mobile unit. Total cost for spay, microchip, pain meds? Under $100. There really is no excuse for not getting it done.

Answer 5

It is not cruel or inhumane. They insert the microchip with a needle, kinda like a shot, so no it is not a major surgery. Also it works great with cats, seeing as how they tend to get into tight spaces and could potentially choke themselves. It is still a good idea to have a collar on dogs just to let people know that it is a domestic and not a stray.

Answer 6

it is not inhumane, it goes barely below the dog's skin... i supose it would be the equivalent to getting a babies ears pierced. i saw the comment referring to a collar with name tag, which is a good point, but the purpose for microchipping is for other reasons. what if your dog loses it's collar? what if someone steals your dog? i live in california, and in my town there are approximately a dozen vets, and if certain breeds of dog are taken to the vet and they do not have a record of ever seeing the dog, they will use the wand to see if the dog is microchipped and who's name the dog is under; mainly with pitbulls (people steal them all the time), pugs, and those little foofoo dogs. but if you live out in the middle of nowhere, it's probably not necessary.

Answer 7

I think it's a good idea....collars with tags are fine too, BUT, how many people have seen or watched their pet slip or chew a collar off? I have a chihuahua that can get ANY collar off....my choice if affordable? Get the chip, when the pet comes up missing and the collar is gone....that chip will still be right there under the skin to identify the pet and prevent accidental euthanasia. It does NOT require surgery....it's a needle with the chip inside, ease it under the skin and viola! your pet is micro-chipped

Answer 8

I think it's a good idea. Sometimes a pet's collar comes off. And shelters do scan for the microchips when an animal comes in, so they can contact you immediately. My dog loves to run off, so I got a chip implanted in him.

Answer 9

the main reason that they want then in dogs and cats is because this is the one way to have your animal returned to you. If your dog or catr slipps out of there coller and you do not go check the one pound that your pet is at, they will be killed in a week on average. this is why they offer it. I also think that if for all those kids that got(sorry it said GOD and the asker freaked out) kidnapped and murdered would have and could have been saved before there death as well. I see your side to and respect it, but everyone is different, and I for 1 would perfer to have my pets kids and everything safe.

Answer 10

Most vets now have a universal scanner, which means it will scan all chips.There are 2 chips that i am aware of Avid and Home Again. Home Again is the most popular, but alot of shelters used to use the Avid chip as it was cheaper. Your vet should be able to scan the cat for you. If a number is found , your vet can probably contact the company and get your information entered. If your cat dosent have a current chip, then you can get one implanted . Home again has a great promotion going right now, with chipping and registration going for $39.99.(We usually charge $70.00) so talk to your vet.I hope this helps you.

Answer 11

I think that once NAIS passes and becomes law many of us will have animal control knocking on our door to seize our dogs because we are over our local limit of 2-3, had a litter of puppies or don't have every dog altered.

Its to bad, chips could be a great thing. But I have no desire to have my dog info put into a public database for the ARs to see. Last thing I want is the ARs in my yard, stealing and altering my dogs or AC seizing them.

I can't believe so many don't see where this will lead.

Besides, many of the chips currently used will be obsolete and the dogs will have to be rechipped when NAIS is passed.

Quite the story. Have politicians/lobbyists on your board and owning stock, and then have them push a law making your product (and NOT your competitors) made mandatory. American politics at work...