Microchipping

A microchip is a small device about the size of a grain of rice that’s injected under the skin of your pet. Microchips have unique numbers that basically act as your pet’s ID. If your pet gets lost or accidently gets out, most veterinarians and all animal shelters have special scanners that can “read” the microchip number and company. Since that number is unique to your pet, the folks who find your dog or cat can call the microchip company and you can be reunited with your companion animal! It’s VITAL you keep this contact information updated if you move or change numbers.

Microchips are injected into the fatty area between the shoulders of your pet. This area is commonly referred to as the “scruff.” A hypodermic needle, similar to one used for a vaccination, is used to implant the microchip. No surgery or anesthesia is required—a microchip can even be implanted during a routine visit to the vet.

Animal Care Services offers registered microchipping, which includes a lifetime registration FREE for San Antonio Residents. Residents who do not live in San Antonio city limits may purchase a registered microchip from the ACS Shelter located at 4710 Highway 151 for only $5 through June 2016. Most private veterinary clinics offer microchip services for a fee as do local community shelters like the San Antonio Humane Society (4804 Fredericksburg) and the Animal Defense League (11300 Nacogdoches) and local spay/neuter clinics. Be sure to ask if the service includes registration--otherwise you will be responsible for making sure the microchip company has your contact information! Remember, City law requires that a pet be microchipped and the pet's microchip be registered with the microchip manufacturer (not ACS) and contain the owner's current information.

The microchips ACS uses only “contain” the identification number for your pet. They can’t act as a GPS tracking device to locate your pet if they get lost but there are some companies out there that make GPS tags for pets. Some microchip companies will provide online tools to keep track of your pet’s medical information and vaccination schedule.

Microchips carry only a unique identification number.

If your pet gets lost and is taken to Animal Care Services, another shelter, or to a vet clinic, your pet will be scanned for a microchip to reveal their unique ID number. That number will be associated with a specific microchip manufacturer (see Microchip Manufacturer Information above) and you will be contacted using the contact information on file with your pet’s microchip manufacturer.

*It is vital to keep your contact information up to date so that you can be reached.

Veterinary clinics and animal shelters (including ACS) use microchips that are available on the U.S. market—but other parts of the world and even the military use a variety of microchips with different frequencies. That’s why Animal Care Services uses universal scanners that can “read” the varying frequencies emitted by the different brands of chips. These universal scanners are used to detect microchips a number of times during a pet’s stay at the shelter including prior to decisions about placement or euthanasia.

At this time, there is no centralized number but there is a FREE database online where you can register your pet’s microchip information, regardless of what brand of chip your dog or cat has. The Found Animals Registry on www.foundanimals.org allows owners to list each of their pet’s microchip numbers as well as personal contact information without charge. Updates or transfer of ownership can also be registered without charge for the lifetime of the pet on foundanimals.org. Since microchips are listed in the registries connected to the maker of that chip, pet owners should always keep that listed contact information up to date as well. Fortunately, the universal scanners that ACS, other shelters and vet clinics use are able to display the name of the microchip's manufacturer when the microchip is detected. The chance that a microchipped pet cannot be identified from its chip number is very low UNLESS that microchip has not been registered or the contact info is not up to date.

If your pet does get loose or run away, visit our Lost Your Pet? page to find more information.

First, try to check for a collar tag indicated the pet has a microchip. Most microchip companies offer collar tags with the company’s toll free help line and the pet’s exclusive ID number. If you don’t see a tag, taking the pet to the nearest vet office or animal shelter to be scanned for a microchip is a good idea. While veterinary clinics and shelters won’t give you the owner’s personal information outright, they can call the microchip company and/or the owner to start the reunion process.

Several years ago, the American Animal Hospital Association started a Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool (www.petmicrochiplookup.org) that provides the company name along with the microchip number to make it easier for animal professionals and the public to reunite lost pets with their owners. Although this new tool does not list the owner’s private contact information, it does list the registry help lines for microchip manufacturers throughout the world. A simple call by the user will get a lost pet one step closer to getting home.

The benefits of microchipping animals definitely outweigh the risks but no system is ever foolproof. The risk of an animal shelter or veterinary clinic not being able to detect a microchip is very low but it is a risk. That’s one of the reasons why Animal Care Services uses universal scanners and has a number of “chip checks” throughout a pet’s stay at the shelter. It’s also why a tag containing the pet's microchip number is required to be worn by the pet. Ensuring your pet remains on your property and your fences and gates are in good repair will also go a long way towards making sure your pets remain safe at home with you! If you are concerned about your pet having a negative reaction to microchipping or you have questions about microchips in general, check with your pet’s veterinarian.