It is hard to believe that in this day and age advocates for animals still need to work hard to convince animal shelters and rescue organizations to microchip their pets prior to adoption. The reasons for doing so are many, most importantly doing so strengthens the safety net available for each pet. Additionally, given that animal shelters and rescue organizations universally encourage microchipping, this practice helps align their deeds with their words. And, let's face it,

The evidence is in: if animal shelters in the USA stopped kidnapping and killing cats, we could be a No Kill nation overnight. That may sound like an extraordinary statement. It is, however, fundamentally, true. But, don't just believe me. Take a look at some basic facts. According to nearly every source that has studied it, the national intake of companion animals to animal shelters in the United States is approximately 8 million, with the majority (often as much as 66%) of

I previously wrote about the disconnected and often dysfunctional systems in place to help reunite lost pets with their families, and how microchip manufacturers, lost and found web sites, and other important players on the lost & found playing field refuse to share data with each other to help families find their lost pets. It is a serious problem that I believe is a sign that many people are more interested in expanding their businesses, rather than fulfilling their stated

Without a doubt, reuniting lost pets with their families is one of the most critical functions of any animal shelter. Furthermore, there is no question that microchipping pets is one of the most important things shelters and rescues can do to facilitate those reunions. There are, however, many challenges – often created by the microchipping industry itself – to using microchips to trace pet owners. Fortunately, creative problem solvers are stepping up to overcome these challe