Utility Bar

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Pawcurious: With Veterinarian and Author Dr. V

Celebrating the truth that pets make people better.

  • RSS
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Google +
  • Goodreads
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Home
  • About
    • Bio
    • FAQ
  • Speaking
  • Pet Expert
  • Writing
  • Books
    • All Dogs Go to Kevin
    • Press
  • Blog
    • Picks of the Litter
    • Popular Posts
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Daily Life / Microchips- The good, bad, and the ugly

Microchips- The good, bad, and the ugly

July 21, 2009 by Dr. V

I don’t envy the job of Animal Control officers. Yesterday’s post brought up a good question by a sharp reader- the dog in question was microchipped, but did the rescue follow up on this? (Still waiting to hear from my friend.)

People get their dog microchipped, and subsequently forget to follow through with the all so important address changes. And then you wind up with stories like this one, from my local paper today.

Here’s the gist:

1. Family finds dog running around, takes a shine to dog.

2. Takes dog to shelter. Dog is microchipped, but the phone number is disconnected. Family waits requisite 5 days, then officially adopts dog.

3. On day 6, previous owner shows up at shelter. Had forgotten to update the microchip information. Dog apparently functions as an unofficial therapy- type dog to a person with disabilities.

4. Shelter asks new owners to return dog. They refuse, which is their legal right at this point.

5. Newspaper blogger gets involved. Chaos ensues.

I can see both sides of the story here. The family did everything correctly. Should they have returned the dog? What if it was 7 days instead of 6? 14? A month? What determines ownership?

I’ve seen a few similar custody cases gone bad- one involving a woman who found an unmicrochipped dog, waited a week, adopted the dog, got her fixed, vaccinated, etc. One month later, the prior owner saw the dog getting groomed in Petsmart, called the cops- and again, chaos ensued. It gets ugly.

When someone brings in a ‘found’ pet to me, I always scan him or her, then tell the person to call the shelter and follow the rules about found pets. I’ve had no problems myself, but I’ve heard some horror stories of vets who scan said pet, find a microchip, and the new owner refuses to allow them to contact the number. This puts the vet in a bind. Are we liable for not following the owner’s wishes and having the pet potentially taken away? Are we liable for not contacting the previous owner and letting them know we saw their pet? The answer to both is maybe.

As an owner, there are a few big steps you can take to avoid such a nasty mess should you and your pet become separated:

1. Make sure your microchip company is updated with every change in address and phone number.

2. Have your vet scan your pet yearly; microchips can migrate, and occasionally, malfunction.

3. If you do lose your pet, don’t just call the shelter. Workers are often overwhelmed and not sure of every pet that comes through. Go there in person, daily. Bring pictures of your pet. Fax pictures to all the local veterinarians as well.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Daily Life Tagged With: News

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kim says

    July 21, 2009 at 5:37 am

    The other thing I would do is check more than one shelter. For example, I live on the border of two counties and three cities – by my location I had to contact my county’s animal protection society (that’s what they call them here) even though we live closer to everything in the other county. I actually found the owner by contacting the other county’s dog warden – it was an exact match – but he didn’t believe I found his dog because it was “so far away”.

    • Dr. V says

      July 21, 2009 at 9:48 am

      Excellent reminder.

  2. Chile says

    July 21, 2009 at 8:21 am

    *note to self* – Check Cookie’s microchip information

  3. Olivia says

    July 22, 2009 at 9:09 am

    We are working to give pet owners easier access to doing regular “maintenance” on their pet’s microchip. First and foremost, we need to make getting information on a pet’s microchip easier, including free local public access to a universal microchip scanner.

    In May 2009, we held a free microchip scanning event in Redwood City California at their 2009 Pet Parade. After scanning 200+ dogs, we found that only 6 owners were able to say that they have indeed checked their pet’s microchip and knew the associated database. While all participants said they considered themselves excellent pet owners, it seems there is a disconnect in those with the chip and those who need to make sure they work.

    Follow our progress at http://www.ChloeStandard.com where we are working to build a better microchip system, giving pet owners the tools they need to keep their pet safe.

    Chloe Standard, Inc.
    info@chloestandard.com

  4. MonaLS says

    April 21, 2012 at 11:25 pm

    Microchips can also come completely out I discovered. I adopted two cats. Both were chipped. Couldn’t feel one chip, could easily feel the other. A year later the one that I could feel migrated out into my hand when I petted my cat. Surprise! Got him rechipped at my vet. I like the second chip company much better because I can update information online and without an additional fee.

Primary Sidebar

Picks of the Litter

Popular Posts

  • Much Love to the Cat Guys
    Much Love to the Cat Guys
  • Guest Post: The Cat’s Guide to Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse
    Guest Post: The Cat’s Guide to Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse
  • Pudgy pups strike again- why the story of Obie bothers me
    Pudgy pups strike again- why the story of Obie bothers me
  • Flash Mountain
    Flash Mountain
  • Minimizing the Stress of Euthanasia
    Minimizing the Stress of Euthanasia
  • World's Most Adorable Degenerate Produce
    World's Most Adorable Degenerate Produce
  • Painting the Roses Red
    Painting the Roses Red
  • Is It OK To Text a Vet Friend For Free Advice?
    Is It OK To Text a Vet Friend For Free Advice?

Posts by Topic

Posts by Date

Footer

On Instagram

No images found!
Try some other hashtag or username

On Facebook

On Pinterest

  • Game of Thrones Houses
  • Is It OK To Text a Vet Friend For Free Advice? – Pawcurious: With Veterinarian and Author Dr. V
  • How Not To Kill Your Cat This Easter
  • Infographic: "42 Funeral and Burial Rituals from Around the World"
  • Throwing a dog friendly Bark Party is the best way to meet new neighbors! Check out my tips for a successful dog meet-up and giveaway, sponsored by @StateFarm!
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • PR, Giveaways, and Brands
  • © Copyright 2009-2025 Pawcurious, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
  • Web Design by Moxie Design Studios
Scroll Up