How many times have you been sitting at a stop sign or looking over a bulletin board and seen desparate notices announcing the loss of a beloved pet and pleas for information about their whereabouts? According to the home again microchip home page, it is estimated that 10 million pets are lost annually and without some permanent form of identification, most of these pets will never get back to their owners. The lucky ones may get adopted through the efforts of local adoption agencies or picked up by caring passers by. For many, the final result is roaming the streets until they are struck and killed or wounded by cars, starving or euthanasia at the hands of local animal control agencies.

As I write this blog, we have a very well behaved and sweet mixed breed dog who showed up at our office last week as a stray. Unfortunately he has no microchip or tattoo to help us get him back to his family. If you recognize him, please give us a call!

In order to try and increase the number of microchipped pets in our practice and therefore to help them get reunited with their family, we will be offering a 10 % discount on the normal fee for implanting a microchip in your pet when we perform the procedure during their annual visit. It is a simple and relatively painless procedure that will help return them to you if they should become lost. Local animal control agencies in Hanover county and Richmond scan all animals that are turned in to them, so if your pet should become lost in this area, their chances of returning to you, are dramatically improved.

Besides spaying or neutering your family pet, microchipping is perhaps one of the kindest things you can do for them. Check out the Home again microchip link for further information.