When the Chips are Down
Dr Jules Wilson MRCVS of the Maunu Rd branch of the Northland Veterinary Group HAS THIS SAY...
When the chips are down and you have lost your dog the most likely route of return is by having the dog identified by a microchip injected under the skin. Modern technology has finally caught up with the canine. A grain of rice sized silicon chip can be painlessly implanted under your dogs skin (usually in the area of the scruff) by your friendly local vet.
This teeny silicon chip is encoded with a unique identity code. Many police/dog rangers and vets have the "chip readers" necessary for reading these chips. When a stray dog is brought into the vets clinic, the SPCA, or Dog Pound, it will be possible to check the dog (or cat or horse or elephant or budgie) for the presence of a microchip.
The unique number on the chip is checked through an international chip registry, the owners details located, the people contacted and the lost pet returned to the broken hearted owners. What could be more simple and direct?
In a few years time it will become law that all dogs must be microchipped. Just now you can phone your local vet clinic for an appointment to have this latest techno-fashion item implanted into your beloved pet for a cost between $70 and $80, this includes a life-time registration.
So don't be left behind in this age of the internet and Hi-Tech wizardry, get your pet an e-mail address, allow them to surf the net and go to all the pets chat room but most importantly make sure they have their own unique silicon chip so they will never be lost for long.
Lost Dog Found 2300km Away
A wandering dog called Zac found in Cairns 2,300km from his home will be flown to Port Macquane on Thursday to be reunited with his family. The eight year old Labrador was picked up by Cairns City Council animal control officers last week at a suburban school where he had befriended children.
Local vet Owen Lavers found him to be in good health and identified the NSW owners through a microchip between the dogs shoulder blades. Dr Lavers sugery called the owners in Port Macquarie, who were stunned Zac had turned up so far away. "They were gobsmacked - they couldn't believe that their dog, which had been missing for six weeks and they'd given up hope on, was up in Cairns having a tropical holiday." Dr Lavers said.
Owners Neralie Grieve said Zac was an escape artist and loved getting out and going to the beach. The family thought someone had pinched him or he had been run over or even taken by a shark, she told the Cairns Post.
"We were all upset, especially my daughter. He just disappeared. Nobody had seen hide or hair of him." Mrs Grieve said. Zac was the talk of the town in Cairns today, with various theories going around as to how he had made the journey. Someone might have picked Zac up in Port Macquarie but been unable to find his home so decided to take him along on their travels, Dr Lavers said.
The dog was in good condition and there were no signs of road sores on his paw pads. Dr Lavers rang Qantas, who offered a free flight to reunite Zac with his Port Macquarie family. A travel cage was also provided by the firm Dogtainers.
Zac's no family holiday has highlighted the advantages of microchipping dogs. "A lot of stray dogs unfortunately are not registered with a council or with a microchip database." Dr Lavers said. "Some of them registered with a council may have lost their tag, whereas a microchip supplies a permanent means of identification." - AAP
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