Oh no, Sadie got out again!

When our doggos or kitties manage a great escape, our first reaction as pet parents is to panic. Of course, we want to start searching, put up signs, and notify neighbors or post on Nextdoor.com. But panic won’t help bring our fur baby home safely.

I’m the pet parent of a former wanderer. When my Chihuahua, Ricky, was young, he loved exploring the neighborhood by sneaking under the backyard fence—no matter how many times I filled the holes or stacked bricks along the bottom! Fortunately, he was always found—either by me or a neighbor—and his adventures always had a happy ending. But that wasn’t just luck.

While I didn’t keep a collar on Ricky 24/7, I made sure he was microchipped. Collars are a great way to identify pets, but they can fall off, break, or even become a choking hazard if caught on a fence or branch. A microchip, however, is permanent, tamper-proof, and lasts a lifetime even if, heaven forbid, your pet is stolen.

Understanding pet microchips: what they do and how they help 

What is a pet microchip?

A microchip is a tiny electronic device containing your contact information. It’s about the size of a grain of rice and is painlessly implanted just under your pet’s skin by a vet—no anesthesia required. The cost is minimal, around $25, and the chip is registered in a national database.

How a microchip helps to track your pet

If your lost pet is brought to a vet, shelter, or animal control, they will scan the microchip, retrieve your information, and contact you immediately. However, updating your contact details is crucial — if you move, change your phone number or your name, notify the microchip registry immediately. Adding an emergency contact is also a wise precaution.

Real-life microchip rescue stories

Microchipping has helped countless pets find their way home:

• Thanos’ Story: At just 4 months old, Thanos was stolen from his backyard. After a fortunate reunion, his owner immediately had him microchipped. Later, when he managed to get out of the yard, an officer found him, scanned his chip, and 24Petwatch quickly notified his owner.
• Castiel’s Adventure: Castiel escaped through an upstairs bedroom window and made his way to the neighbor’s garage sale! Thankfully, a kind woman took him to a local vet, where they scanned his microchip. Since his owner was at work and missed the calls, 24Petwatch contacted his owner’s emergency contact—her dad—who made sure Castiel got home safely.

A lifesaving choice for your pet

Bergen County Veterinary Center in New Jersey emphasizes another significant benefit of microchipping: it prevents unnecessary euthanasia. Stray pets without identification are often euthanized if their owners cannot be located, but a microchip connects pets to their families, decreasing these tragic outcomes.

For a small investment, a microchip can be the difference between heartbreak and a happy reunion with your pet. If your pet isn’t microchipped yet, consider scheduling an appointment with your vet — you’ll never regret having that extra layer of security for your beloved fur baby.