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Dog tags* * Shhh ... they're for cats, too!
Implanted microchips may help pet owners find lost companions Rave didn't even wince as the rice-sized microchip was injected between her shoulder blades. Neither the shot nor the political implications seemed to bother the Doberman at all. And someday, if the unthinkable happens and Rave ends up in the clutches of a Jackson County dog catcher, that microchip will be her get-out-of-jail-free card. Jackson County has been checking dogs for microchips for a few years - and so far at least two have found their way home thanks to imbedded chips. The county's new dog ordinance - which goes into effect Monday - will actually increase the number of microchipped dogs in the county by requiring it in some animals so they can be tracked. The main use of the microchip will continue to be returning lost dogs and cats to their owners. The microchips are a second line of defense when the collar and license are lost or stolen. "Dogs are saved and returned home when they have a license more than anything else," said Colleen Macuk, the director of the Jackson County Animal Shelter. "But a microchip is a wonderful backup. It's permanent." Nationally, only about 16 percent of lost dogs and 2 percent of lost cats are returned to their owners, according to studies by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy. In Jackson County, the shelter takes in about 4,000 cats and 3,800 dogs a year. About 25 percent of the dogs and 7 percent of cats go back to their owners. Unless adopted, the vast majority of those remaining are killed. There are two major manufacturers of the microchips: Avid and HomeAgain. Avid reports having "millions" of dogs and cats microchipped and registered. A spokeswoman at HomeAgain said her agency has registered 1 million animals on its database since 1995. "Of that we have recovered 56,242 as of (Friday) morning," said Angela Lewis, the operations supervisor. "That's shelters, vets, people down the street - any kind of recovery." Microchipping cats and dogs began almost 20 years ago, but has been gaining popularity across the country over the past five years. Counties across the country are scanning dogs and cats at shelters and developing laws that require dangerous dogs to be microchipped. A number of areas including Dade County, Fla., and the city of St. Louis require all dogs that end up in their shelter to be microchipped. Some cities sponsor low-cost microchipping clinics to promote the practice. Pet owners in Southern Oregon will most likely get their microchips through veterinarians. The cost is set by each veterinarian but it usually varies from $30 to $50 and then there is an additional $12 to $16 registration fee that goes to the company. Local veterinarians say while they've seen increases in the number of dogs and cats getting the microchips, it's not taking off here like in other parts of the country. Beth Gurney used to be a veterinarian in Phoenix, Ariz., where she "chipped" 10 or 15 dogs a month. The numbers would increase even further after stories ran in local media about animals being reunited with the help of microchips. Gurney's been at Best Friends Animal Hospital in Talent since May 2000 and only chips one or two dogs a month and even fewer cats. "I used to ask people (if they wanted microchips), but so many people turned me down, I don't think about it anymore," Gurney said. Six local veterinarians estimated that between 1 and 4 percent of their patients - almost all of them dogs - had the microchips. "I don't think its catching on and it's really sad because of the number of dogs we see each month who are lost and many never get back to owners, " said Kay Boydston, the manager of the Siskiyou Veterinary Hospital that responds to animal emergencies. "I don't know how many times we get dogs in with absolutely no identification." Some people choose to tattoo their pets for that additional bit of information. But local veterinarians say they prefer microchipping for identification because the animals do not have to be anesthetized for the procedure "I'd say microchip. It's easier. Faster. Less traumatic.," said veterinarian Danna Catt at the Jackson Animal Hospital. "I'd do this in a minute over tattooing." And all six veterinarians, and the manager of the local animal shelter, say their own animals are microchipped. "There's those of us who will take every possible precaution," said Macuk. "It's our family member and baby." Veterinarian Tiffany Graeber injected a microchip into 4-year-old Rave, a red Doberman, after the dog's owner had heard too many lost dog stories. Rave got the microchip along with her routine vaccinations. During the procedure, Rave was more traumatized by the cold, slick feel of the examining table and the clicking of a photographer's camera than she was by the injection. "I've never had a dog react to the injection," said Graeber, who practices at both the Animal Medical Hospital in Ashland and the Medford Animal Hospital. "And I've never even read of ones that caused problems. It's amazing, but the body accepts that." Graeber said she thinks more dog and cat owners will get their animals chipped as they learn about the procedure. "Information isn't out there and that is part of the problem," she said. "People won't spend money on something they deem is not valuable." Chipped and vaccinated, Rave wagged her tail and went home, a new insurance policy just under her skin. Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail ddodge@mailtribune.com * The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice. It is injected with a syringe between the animal's shoulder blades. Anesthesia is not required and animals react to it about the same way they react to vaccinations. * Although a number of companies make the microchips, the scanners that find them are universal. A veterinarian or animal control officer will hold the scanner - a device about the size of a pack of cigarettes - over the animal's back and a number pops up on the scanner. The person scanning then calls a database that shows who owns the dog or cat. * The cost of microchipping varies from veterinarian to veterinarian, but most are between $30 and $50, with an additional fee of between $12 and $16 for registering the pet owner's name on the database. County policy on dangerous dogs goes into effect Monday A new Jackson County dog ordinance - which goes into effect Monday - will require owners of dogs that are deemed dangerous to people or livestock to be implanted with the microchips. Wolf hybrids that are not properly maintained also will be required to get microchips The chips will allow the state to keep track of the dogs so the canines can't just move from county to county changing their names and wreaking havoc. County officials, though, are bracing for dog owners who aren't exactly thrilled to have their animals join the 21st-century trend. "I don't know whether or not it will be a principle thing about Big Brother looking over you, but when it comes to dogs and local government - those two issues come together and it causes an explosion as a general rule," said Doug McGeary, a county attorney. "Putting a microchip in a dog might offend some people - especially because they have to pay for it." |
