The feeling of losing your dog is gut retching. You have absolutely no idea where your furry family member is, you have no idea if they are safe, if they are frightened and hiding, or if someone has found them and will they return your dog to you.
What To Do If You Do Lose Your Dog
You can put up posters, check the shelters and local vets but if the person that has found your dog doesn’t see the posters or take your dog to the vet how will they find you? Your dog may be wearing a collar but when she left home but is she wearing it now, or did the finder remove the collar?
There are so many variables you will be beside yourself with worry, however having your dog micro-chipped will make it much easier for your dog to find her way home safely.
What is a Micro-chip?
A chip is only as big as a grain of rice, it contains your name and contact information, it is implanted in the scruff of your dogs neck, it is painless and only costs between $25-$50. It is so much safer than other forms of identification because it cannot be removed so you can help the people that find your dog find you, better yet, if someone says your dog is theirs you can prove that your dog is yours.
In Some Countries Micro-chipping is Mandatory
In some parts of the world, such as Northern Ireland, it is mandatory to microchip your dog. Besides finding your dog if she is lost there are two rather sad reasons why it is a good idea to make it mandatory.
Unfortunately many dogs are not really lost but they are abandoned by their owners. These people get a dog and decide they don’t want it anymore so they remove the dogs collar and tags and then dump her somewhere. If the dog is micro-chipped the owner can be traced and held accountable, therefore they may think twice about dumping their dog in the country or on the streets if they know they may be fined or face jail time.
Some people purchase/have dogs and train them to fight. This is incredibly cruel but if the dog is micro-chipped the owner can be traced and face the consequences . Having a dog micro-chipped is like having a serial number on a gun or VIN number on a car.
Therefore whether a microchip is used to help reunite you with your furry family, or deter criminals victimizing dogs, mandatory micro-chipping will help reduce strays, euthanasia rates and shelter overcrowding.
Finally
Please have your dog micro-chipped. You’ll never regret doing it, but if your dog gets lost, you’ll always regret that you didn’t.