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Microchipping Program
Benefits of Microchipping
Permanent identification of animals can be a challenge. Identification tags are an important and effective means of identification, but only if they are in place on an animal when it becomes lost. For animals that don’t wear collars or easily escape their collars, microchips may be especially valuable. Microchips provide a reliable, and often less painful, method of permanent, unalterable animal identification.
How does a microchip help reunite a lost animal with its owner?
When an animal is found and taken to a shelter or veterinary clinic, one of the first things the staff does is scan the animal for a microchip. If they find a microchip, and if the microchip registry has accurate information, they can quickly identify and contact the animal's owner to return it.
Sugar Land Animal Services offers microchipping services to the public. Microchipping services are available to everyone, regardless of residency, for a small fee. Please note that appointments are required.
- Our normal microchip fee is $15.50 for residents and $20.75 for non-residents- significantly less than you would pay at a veterinarian's office.
- What is a microchip?
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A microchip is a small, electronic chip enclosed in a glass cylinder that is about the same size as a grain of rice. The microchip itself does not have a battery—it is activated by a scanner that is passed over the area, and the radio waves put out by the scanner activate the chip. The chip transmits the identification number to the scanner, which displays the number on the screen. The microchip itself is also called a transponder.
- How is a microchip implanted into an animal? Is it painful? Does it require surgery or anesthesia?
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It's injected under the skin using a hypodermic needle. It is no more painful than a typical injection, although the needle is slightly larger than those used for injection. No surgery or anesthesia is required—a microchip can be implanted during a routine veterinary office visit.
- What kind of information is contained in the microchip? Is there a tracking device in it? Will it store my pet's medical information?
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The microchips presently used in pets only contain identification numbers. The microchip is not a GPS device and cannot track your animal if it gets lost. Although the microchip itself does not contain your pet's medical information, some microchip registration databases will allow you to store that information in the database for quick reference.
- Should I be concerned about my privacy if my pet is microchipped? Will someone be able to track me down?
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No. You don't need to be concerned about your privacy. The information you provide to the manufacturer's microchip registry will be used to contact you in the event your pet is found and its microchip is scanned. The only information in the database is the information that you provide when you register the chip or update your information. There are protections in place so that a random person can't just look up an owner's identification.
Remember that having the microchip placed is only the first step, and the microchip must be registered in order to give you the best chances of getting your pet back. If that information is missing or incorrect, your chances of getting your pet back are dramatically reduced.
- Why should I have my animals microchipped?
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The best reason to have your animals microchipped is the improved chance that you'll get your animal back if it becomes lost or stolen.
Source (and for more FAQ): American Veterinary Medical Association