Don’t Get Lost, Get Microchipped

Why Should My Dog Get Microchipped?

Sadly, dogs get lost.

I remember when I was about six years old, our Chow Chow ran away during the 4th of July while our aunt was house-sitting. We looked for him everywhere! I found myself so worried and disappointed every time my dad came home and Beijing wasn’t with him. Thankfully, our family was so relieved when we found him two days later outside of Ross!

Luckily, thanks to some help from Navy officials, another pet parent was able to rejoice in a similar homecoming.

Nick Hayworth, a fisherman in San Diego, lost his dog Luna when she fell off their fishing boat two miles off the coast of the San Clemente Island during a trip in early February. Luna, a gorgeous German Shepherd, was reported missing on February 10th.

Sheltie Returns Home After Six Years Thanks to Microchip

Since Luna was a strong swimmer, Nick was confident that she would be able to swim to shore. However, vigilant searching of the San Clemente Island resulted in nothing. After a week of searching, with no signs of her whereabouts, it was presumed that she had drowned at sea.

Then, after five weeks, Luna was spotted by Navy officials on the island. Once Navy staff determined that she was the dog who went missing, they had her examined to make sure she was healthy, and then they called Nick to schedule a reunion!

While Nick Hayworth and I both share in the fact that our dogs returned home safe and sound, other pets parents might not be so lucky.

What Can You Do To Make Sure Your Pet Makes it Home Safely?

The reality is that if you want your pet to return home, you need to take some precautions before you take them out on an adventure.

ID: Make sure that your pet always has legible ID tags on when you leave the house. Also, if your veterinarian provides you with a tag stating that your dog is up to date on their rabies vaccine, it is highly recommended that you include the tag on their collar as well. There are also Digital Pet ID tags that allow people to use their phone to look up your profile and securely contact you to let you know your pet is missing.

Microchipping: The best thing you can do is microchip your pet. I have personally returned dogs to their home because those dogs were microchipped and that microchip had up to date information.