More pet owners choosing to microchip their pets
Microchipping is on the rise, thanks in part to a few high-profile lost-pet reunions.
Several recent high-profile news stories have pushed microchipping into the limelight. According to Reuters, industry statistics show that, since the return of long-lost Willow the microchipped cat to her Colorado owners from New York City, microchipping of pets has jumped 185 percent. And recent news of the return of Petey the microchipped dog to his Tennessee home from Michigan is likely to spike those figures again.
Across the United States, 26 percent of dogs had implanted microchips in 2010 compared to 17 percent in 2009, according to an annual survey of pet owners by the American Pet Products Association. About 12 percent of cats had microchips in 2010.
Most shelters and humane societies implant microchips in animals before allowing them to be adopted. While most pet owners get their animals from friends or family, 21 percent of dog and cat owners adopted their pets from shelters or humane societies, according to the APPA survey.
There’s always room for improvement, however. See the related links below for more on talking to your veterinary clients about microchipping.
