CHECK THE CHIP DAY (AUGUST 15) REMINDS PET OWNERS TO MICROCHIP THEIR PETS

Onyx’s story shares the importance of updating your pet’s microchip information to ensure a happy reunion if your pet ever gets lost or stolen.

PORTLAND, Ore. – In honor of Check the Chip Day on August 15, DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital wants to remind pet owners to get their pets microchipped and ensure their registration information is up to date to have a much greater chance of being reunited.

Dogs and cats can accidentally wander from even the most careful families, and DoveLewis works with local agencies and organizations to provide care for injured strays every year, including a lost pet named Onyx.

During a stressful moving day, Cammie went out to run an errand. When she returned, her front door was wide open – her movers had accidentally left it ajar and her border collie, Onyx, was nowhere to be found.

Cammie and her daughter made Facebook and NextDoor posts and didn’t stop searching for Onyx for over 7 hours. Meanwhile, Onyx was already in DoveLewis’ care. A worried neighbor had found him frantic and dehydrated. However, their family could not be reached because while Onyx was already microchipped, the contact information they had was to Cammie’s late husband and his cell phone that was no longer in service.

Cammie was finally offered the suggestion to check with DoveLewis where they heard the good news. “We were overjoyed when we found out he was at DoveLewis.” said Cammie, “We were in tears, and we went from panic to ‘oh, thank god!’”

Onyx’s tail wagged like never before when he reunited with his mom and the rest of his family. When Cammie found out about the outdated contact information, she immediately updated the microchip information to ensure this stressful experience never happens again.

“Pets who have a microchip have the greatest chance of being reunited with their families,” said Dr. Ladan Mohammad-Zadeh, DoveLewis Critical Care Specialist. “If the pet has a microchip and updated contact information, it’s easy to alert the owner while we provide stray pets the care they need before their happy reunion.”

Pets can be microchipped at their veterinarian, and the chip should be updated every time there’s a change in home address or contact information. Pet owners can easily change their contact information by:

• If you know the microchip manufacturer and ID number: Call the phone number on the activation card you received when the chip was implanted. Tell them the chip ID number and your new contact information. Or update online by going to the chip manufacturer’s website.

• If you only know the microchip ID number: Find the manufacturer’s name online at the PetMicrochipLookup.org. Once you have that information, call or visit their website to make your changes.

• If you don’t have any info on the microchip: Contact the veterinarian where the chip was implanted. They should have a record of the procedure that includes the microchip ID number. Or take your pet to a local vet clinic or animal shelter to have the chip scanned. They will be able to retrieve the ID number.

Keep in mind that collars and tags can get lost if your pet goes missing. Having an updated microchip is a secure, permanent way for your pet to be identified should they ever stray from home.

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