Pet Safety: The Microchip in Dogs and Cats

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 21 December, 2022

The microchip has been proven to be effective with dogs and cats. This little device basically helps you keep track of your pet. It can help you if it runs away, is stolen, or anything similar. It’s an effective, worthwhile pet safety strategy, and lots of people are choosing to get a microchip in their dogs and cats.

What is the microchip for dogs and cats?

The chip is an electronic device that identifies animals, and has had great results with dogs and cats. There are two basic parts to it. One of them is the device itself, and the other is the capsule protecting it. The capsule is made out of a kind of glass that won’t harm your pet’s insides. It’s also about as small as a grain of rice.

Your vet is the only person that should implant your pet with a microchip. It may not be a serious procedure, but this involves physically inserting something into your dog or cat’s body. The most common place to do that is in the back of their neck.

But don’t worry, the implant process is very low-risk, and doesn’t tend to cause problems. It’s a quick, easy procedure. It works because it has a unique number associated with your pet, so it acts as a kind of personal ID.

Your pet will only need to get the chip once in its life. After that, you don’t have to do anything, and its information will go into a database. Every county tends to have its own database. The information on the microchip includes things about both the pet, and you its owner (address, etc).

A dog’s age

When it comes to dogs, you shouldn’t have it implanted with a chip until it’s at least two months old. You absolutely must give your vet true, valid information, because you won’t be able to change it afterward. If your dog gets lost or is stolen, then they’ll use that information to find and identify it.

If you move, or the dog changes owners, then you’ll need to tell your vet immediately. They will then start a process of data modification. You should also inform the vet if your pet dies.

Over in Spain, the city of Madrid actually made microchips obligatory for all pet dogs and cats. Many other parts of Spain followed its example after that, and this little tracking device has become obligatory in most parts of that country now.

What does the microchip in dogs and cats do?

This device has lots of different functions. As a pet owner, here are some of the many benefits it can give you:

• You’ll always be able to legally prove that the animal belongs to you.
• If it gets lost, they can use the information on the chip to find it.
• The chip can also prevent people from abandoning pet dogs and cats. There are laws in place in many places to punish people for abusing or abandoning their pets.

A microchip has precise information on who exactly the owner is. That person has to take full responsibility for their pet. That’s why it’s so important to inform your vet of any changes in address, owner, etc.

What happens if your pet gets lost or stolen?

Of course, lots of people put tags on their pets’ collars. That can help you figure out its whereabouts if it gets lost or stolen. However, it’s not a foolproof method. The tag could fall off, or someone could simply remove it. This makes the chip a much safer, more effective option for both dogs and cats.

Things can vary depending on your town, county, state, or country, so find out who you need to go to if this happens. You should also call local animal shelters and pounds to see if they’ve picked up your pet, or, if not, you can turn to the police.

If you go to the police to file a report, you’ll need to have some information on hand. First of all, you need to give them your pet’s chip number, along with your personal information. After that, you can tell them whatever you know about its disappearance. With the microchip, you can generally find a missing animal in no time.

However, if you’re the one who finds a lost animal, you should go to the places we just mentioned. The people there can look at the animal and use the microchip to find the necessary information. It’s the quickest way for the pet to make its way back to its owners.

The microchip for dogs and cats is one of the best recent inventions. Every pet owner who has got one for their animals is generally happy with the device. The hope is that they’ll become obligatory all over the world soon enough.