Microchip, Required, But … Useful?

Having a new pet, especially if it is a puppy, generates economic expenses that we must bear in mind. However, sometimes we downplay some things thinking if the expense is really necessary and if it is useful for something, such as the microchip.

This is mandatory in most countries, but is it really useful? It is useful for something? In this article we explain how a microchip works and all its advantages.

What is the microchip?

The microchip is a very small device, like a grain of rice, that is inserted into the neck of the animal. In it, an alphanumeric code is entered in which the owner’s data is stored by storing it in a database.

In the event that the animal is lost, the data on the microchip can be read with a device capable of decoding barcodes and thus being able to locate the dog’s owner.

When the owner reports the disappearance of his pet, the files in which the animal is registered are accessed and a search is launched through the kennels in order to locate the most recent collected. If any of them is missing, the device will alert the system in which the data is stored and thus unite pet and owner.

However, unfortunately there are pet thefts that are done by professionals capable of hiding the data on the chip, thus preventing the recovery of the animal. This is especially the case with expensive breed dogs.

What are the shortcomings of the microchip?

Like all the technology that exists, this device also has shortcomings and can even fail. Well, rather, it is the surrounding system that fails. There are two causes:

• There is no national registry. For example, in Spain there is no national pet registry, so if your animal is lost in one autonomous community and appears in another, where it appears there will be no record of the pet or its data. To improve this, it would be necessary to unify all the autonomous communities so that an animal can be recovered wherever it appears.
• Unknown to the owners. Few of the owners who know that there is a number to call when a disappearance, theft or loss occurs. In the event of theft, it is essential to do it as soon as possible so as not to give thieves time to erase the data. You will always have that phone at hand on the card that the veterinarian gives you when the microchip is put on.

How to improve its usefulness

The objective of this device, in addition to recovering the lost animals, was also to eradicate abandonment. However, although these objectives have generally been met, not as many have been obtained as originally desired.

To make it even more effective you would need at least two things:

• Data update. If the owner of the animal changes his address, telephone number or even if he dies, it is necessary to notify all of this to locate the owner as soon as possible. In the event of death, a relative will be made who can take care of the animal if rescue is achieved.
• Notify of the loss. If the owners do not notify the device system of the disappearance, theft or loss of the pet, it will be difficult for it to fulfill its final objective: to recover the animal and deliver it to its owner.

However, despite these small deficiencies and the improvements that must be made, in general the microchip is very useful and thanks to it it has been possible to recover many lost animals. For example, in Spain only in 2011 it was possible to recover a whopping 13,400 lost animals thanks to the microchip.

In addition, there is now a European network in which all animals are registered with the device, so if your animal ends up in another part of the continent, it can be found. Of course, remember to report the disappearance.