Microchipping a pet is a simple procedure that can give lifelong protection for your pet if they are ever lost or stolen.  Every animal adopted from Take Paws Rescue will have a microchip included in the adoption fee. We understand that not everyone may be familiar with microchips or how they are used to help reunite lost dogs with their owners. We hope this information helps! 

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What is a microchip?

• A microchip is a small, electronic chip enclosed in a glass cylinder that is about the same size as a grain of rice. The microchip itself does not have a battery—it is activated by a scanner that is passed over the area, and the radio waves put out by the scanner activate the chip. The chip transmits the identification number to the scanner, which displays the number on the screen.

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What kind of information is contained in the microchip? Is there a tracking device in it? Will it store my pet's name and my contact information?

• The microchips presently used in pets only contain identification numbers. The device itself does not store the pet's name or any owner details. 

• No, the microchip is not a GPS device and cannot track your animal if it gets lost.

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How does a microchip help reunite a lost animal with its owner?

• When an animal is found and taken to a shelter, rescue, or veterinary clinic, one of the first things they do is scan the animal for a microchip with a special scanning device.

• If they find a microchip, the number can be searched in the Universal Microchip Database to identify both the manufacturer of the device and any associated universal registry it may be registered to.

• If the microchip registry has accurate information, they can quickly find the animal's owner. 

• If the microchip is not registered, the shelter or clinic may obtain data from the manufacturing in most instances of the original purchasing organization or company. 

  • Example - When Take Paws Rescue purchases microchips, the rescue remains the purchaser or parent owner of the microchip, before and after the microchip is registered to the dog owner. This way, if ANY Take Paws Rescue dog ends up lost or at a shelter, we can be sure to be notified. This is especially helpful if owners don't keep their contact info up to date. This is an extra level of protection. ​

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Will a microchip really make it more likely for me to get my pet back if it is lost?

• Definitely! In fact, a study of more than 7,700 stray animals at animal shelters in 23 states showed that microchipped animals are far more likely to be returned to their owners. In that study, microchipped stray dogs were returned to their owners at more than double the overall rate for all stray dogs (both microchipped and not microchipped). For stray cats, the difference in return rates was even more dramatic.

• For microchipped animals that weren't returned to their owners, the most common reason was an incorrect or disconnected owner telephone number in the microchip registry database. 

 

 Does a microchip replace identification tags?

• Absolutely not. Microchips are great for permanent identification that is tamper-proof, but nothing replaces a collar with up-to-date identification tags. If a pet is wearing a collar with tags when it's lost, it's often a very quick process to read the tag and contact the owner; however, the information on the tags needs to be accurate and up to date. But if a pet is not wearing a collar and tags, or if the collar is lost or removed, then the presence of a microchip might be the only way the pet's owner can be found.

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 Does Take Paws register my dog's microchip information for me?

• Yes, During the adoption process, the chip will be registered automatically using the contact information we have on file. You will get an email confirming  this along with  information. Our microchip registration partner is AdopterLuv. https://adopterluv.com/

• There is nothing more needed on your part, however, we do recommend creating an account with AdopterLuv so you can take advantage of all that is available there. 

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My pet has two different frequency microchips implanted. Do I need to have one removed? Will they interfere with each other? Which microchip will be detected by the scanner?

• Double chipping has happened on rare occurrences, whether on the same frequency or different, typically if a dog is scanned by a scanner and a chip is not located, and chipped again.

• Is this an issue?

  • No, you do not need to have one of the microchips removed and no, they will not interfere with each other. The microchip detected by the scanner will depend on the scanner used – if it is a universal (forward- and backward-reading) scanner, it will probably detect each chip as it is passed over it. To detect the other chip, the scanner must be reset and passed over the area where it is located. If it is a scanner that only reads one microchip frequency, it will only detect a microchip of that specific frequency and will not detect or read the other microchip.

• If you know your pet has more than one microchip implanted, make sure you keep the database information updated for EACH microchip. People don't routinely assume there's more than one microchip (because it is very uncommon), so they will try to find the owner based on the registry number of the microchip they detect.

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