Hey, fellow pet lovers!
August the 15th is National Check the Chip Day, so I thought I’d write a post that talks about the many benefits as well as the importance of getting your pet microchipped. Both my girls Nia and Lily are microchipped but we do need to get the Pooss done either this year or the start of next. We decided not to get her chipped right away when she first came to us because of how bad of a condition she was in and the fact she had a new home to get used to, as well as the fact that she was and still is a house cat.
Let’s jump straight in and learn the benefits of getting your pet microchipped!
The Benefits of Microchipping your pet
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Firstly, you’re more likely to be reunited with your furry friend.
This is one of the most obvious reasons for getting your pet microchipped, you are far more likely to be reunited with your pet if they have been microchipped and go missing. Apparently, 1 in 3 family pets are likely to get lost in their lifetime and by doing this one simple thing, that doesn’t cost a lot of money you could increase your chances of finding your beloved pet if the unimaginable does happen.
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Microchipped dogs are more than twice as likely to be reunited with their owners.
I couldn’t even imagine how horrific it would feel if one or dare say it all of my babies went missing!! I hope we never have to go through that, you hear of heartbreaking stories where families are still searching for their lost pets years after they have gone missing. Having a microchip doesn’t guarantee that your pet will be reunited and brought back home but it does increase your chances as you are more than twice as likely to find your pooch if they have been microchipped, so you might as well get them done!
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Microchipped cats are more than 20 times as likely to be reunited with their owners.
Microchipped cats are 20 times more likely to be reunited with their owners which is crazy, we really need to get Pooss done! Like I mentioned above I couldn’t imagine the pain and heartache that comes with losing a pet and I really hope I and my partner, alongside you, and the many other pet owners out there never have to experience it. But the harsh truth is that plenty of pets go missing each year and for the unlucky families out there that have to go through the hell of trying to find a missing pet, microchipping could make a massive difference.
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You will gain some peace of mind if the worse does occur.
One of the best things about getting your pet microchipped is the fact that you can have some kind of peace of mind if the unimaginable does occur. Knowing your pet is microchipped increases your chances of being reunited with them and this gives you that little bit of extra hope during an awful situation.
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It makes everything easier!
If your pet does go missing and they are not microchipped, not only does that mean your less likely to be reunited with your furry friend but they also now have to be placed in a kennel and start the awful rehoming process if they are lucky. Keeping stray and missing pets in kennels costs money and is not a nice situation for us pet lovers and the innocent pets that are looking for their forever home. By microchipping our pets it increases our chances of getting them back and if they do go missing it also makes the RSPCA’s animal welfare workers, dog wardens, and rehoming staff within the kennel/shelters lives a lot easier. As it saves them time, as they no longer have to hunt for the owner of the pet if they are microchipped and can focus on finding the pets without any owners a good home.
How many pets go missing each year?
Like I mentioned above the harsh reality is that so many pets go missing in the UK and worldwide each year, that many families have to go through heartache and pain and some are never reunited with their beloved pets.
There are an estimated 9 million dogs in the UK, with 26% of households having one and for our feline friends, there are 8 million cats and 18% of the population have a one. So that is a total of 17 million cats and dogs that could potentially go missing or be stolen in the UK each year. So it is inevitable that some of our companion animals are going to go missing, but how many? I struggled to find information regarding statistics for 2018 but did find a report from May 2016 that talks about the number of pets stolen or reported missing that year and in 2015.
This research revealed that
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1 in 10 dog owners has experienced their dog going missing, either stolen, run away or missing without explanation.
This is a scary statistic and I really hope that this year’s figures show a decrease in the number of pets that have gone missing. When I do manage to find a report of this year’s figures I will write another blog post and we can see if the number has decreased or increased.
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Official police data shows that 1,670 dogs were reported missing in 2015. The equivalent of at least five dogs every day and that is an estimated total value of £422,805.
Five pet owners each day lost their furry friends in 2015 within the UK and this number will most likely be higher, as some people don’t report incidents of missing pets to the police, which is crazy!!
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One in five dogs is not microchipped despite it being compulsory by law and an effective way of finding a missing pet.
This is something I cannot get my head around, It is compulsory by law in the UK and it increases your chances of getting your pet back if you do fall unlucky to these statistics. Microchipping is a cheap and an effective method for helping pet owners be reunited with their pets and it also helps keep the number of stray dogs down.
Within this report it mentions that 28% of these dog owners could not be bothered to get their dog microchipped, one in four were unaware of what a microchip is, and the other 16% did not see the point of one. Clearly, if you cannot see the point in microchipping your pet for their own safety and the increased chances of being reunited with them if they do go missing, then you shouldn’t have a pet to start with!!
This research was conducted with 1,000 dog owners and freedom of information (FOI) requests to 20 police forces, the purpose of this research was to catalog in detail the full extent of missing pets in England.
Rsagroup.com. (2016). Lost and hound pt II: Five dogs go missing in the UK every single day. [online] Available at: https://www.rsagroup.com/news/press-releases/2016/lost-and-hound-pt-ii-five-dogs-go-missing-in-the-uk-every-single-day/ [Accessed 15 Aug. 2018].
Things to note about Microchipping
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Make sure your information is correct and up to date at all times.
One of the most important things to do is to ensure that the information you have filled in for your pet’s microchip is 100% correct. If this is not the case then it will be very hard for your pet to be reunited if your address or contact details or not up to date.
If you move or change your telephone number always ensure you log on to your account where your pet’s details are kept and update them to ensure everything is always up to date. Then if your pet does go missing and they are found you can easily be notified and they can come home.
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Get your pet microchipped when they are a puppy or kitten.
We got Nia and Lily done when they were a puppy and they went to get their initial vaccinations, it is easier to get them done straight away as means you are protected from day one. Most vets will offer a puppy or kitten pack that includes all initial vaccinations, worming and microchipping. We only paid about £60 for our package and it was super handy getting everything done when the girls were young.
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In the UK it is compulsory to have your dog microchipped.
On April the 6th 2016, it became compulsory to have your dog microchipped, this law states that all owners in the UK must have their dog microchipped and keep their details up to date. I think this is a great law and it will help owners be reunited with their pets a lot quicker, as well as protecting pets from just being dumped or left on their own, as owners can be held solely responsible for what they do and their pets safety.
Anyone who does not microchip their dog in the UK could be fined up to £500.
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Microchipping helps lower the number of pets in shelters.
By microchipping our pets it limits the number of cats and dogs put in shelters as if a lost pet is found, then the dog wardens, animal welfare workers or the police can find the owner’s contact details and easily take that pet home. Which means they don’t have to be taken to a local kennel/shelter.
However, if your pet does go missing and they are not microchipped then they will have to be taken to a kennel/shelter and hopefully be rehomed if they are lucky.
Where to get your pet microchipped?
Now we know how important it is to get your pet microchipped and if you live in the UK you need to have your dog microchipped by law, then you need to know where you can go to get it done.
There are various charities in the UK that will provide free microchipping for pets and every vet will offer a service to microchip your pet for a small amount of money. We just got the girls microchipped at our local vets and it was super cheap and took seconds.
On the UK government website, it states
Your dog’s microchip must be fitted by a trained professional, for example, a vet. You can ask the following charities to microchip your dog for free:
You can also ask your vet or local council if they can microchip your dog. However, they might charge a fee, to learn more head over the get your dog microchipped.gov page.
Thanks for reading this post everyone. I hope you all enjoyed it and make sure you get your pet microchipped if they aren’t already to give yourself peace of mind and increase your chances of getting your furry friend back if the worst does occur. If you haven’t checked out last weeks post then head over there now, Caring for your Canine while they’re in Heat.
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