Is Your Pet Microchipped? Why It Is One of the Best Things You Can Do for Their Safety

A tiny chip gives your pet permanent identification, speeds reunions, and helps North Carolina families bring their animals home

Every year, thousands of pets go missing in North Carolina. A gate does not latch, a storm spooks a dog, a cat slips out during a delivery, and a much loved companion is suddenly gone. Collars and tags can break or be removed. Microchipping gives your pet a permanent ID that travels with them for life. It is quick, affordable, and often the difference between a long search and a same day reunion.

How Microchips Work And Why They Matter

A microchip is a tiny passive device about the size of a grain of rice that a veterinarian places just under the skin between the shoulder blades. The chip stores a unique ID number. When a shelter or clinic scans a found animal, the scanner reads the number and staff look up your contact details in a recovery database. The chip is not a tracker and has no battery. It simply provides reliable identification when it matters most. In North Carolina, shelters and veterinary clinics routinely scan every intake animal, which is why chipped pets are reunited faster and more often.

• Permanent identification. Collars fall off during a romp or storm. A chip stays with your pet for life.
• Fast reunions. A quick scan gives staff your number so you can pick up your pet without delay.
• Proof of ownership. The registration record supports your claim if there is a dispute or theft.

Getting Your Pet Microchipped

The procedure is simple and similar to a vaccination. Your vet loads a sterile microchip into a needle and places it under the skin. The whole process takes seconds. Afterward, you register the chip number to your name, address, and phone so the ID can lead back to you. Registration can be done online with the manufacturer or a major registry. Some offices complete the registration for you at checkout. Ask to confirm that your information is active and visible to shelters.

• Ask about universal chips. Most chips in the United States are readable by universal scanners used in North Carolina clinics and shelters.
• Finish the registration. A chip without current contact details is an unmarked key. Complete the form and save your login.
• Verify after visits. During annual exams, ask staff to scan your pet to confirm the chip reads correctly.

Costs, Clinics, And Real North Carolina Results

For most families, the cost runs between twenty five and fifty dollars through a veterinarian. Many shelters host low cost or free events. These clinics make microchipping accessible to new pet owners and to families with multiple animals. After hurricanes and during peak travel and moving seasons, shelters often see a surge in lost pets. Chipped animals get home faster because staff can make that first phone call within minutes of intake.

• Wake County Animal Center. Offers low cost microchipping and scans every intake animal to speed reunions.
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control. Runs free and low cost microchip clinics during the year.
• Guilford County Animal Services. Includes a microchip with many adoptions and provides scanning for found pets.

Common Myths To Skip

Microchips are simple and safe, yet several myths keep some pets unprotected. Clearing up these points helps owners act sooner and with confidence.

• Myth: a chip tracks my pet. A microchip is not GPS and does not show location. It only stores an ID number that links to your contact details.
• Myth: collars are enough. Keep tags on your pet, but treat the chip as your safety net when a collar breaks or is removed.
• Myth: it hurts a lot. The placement feels like a routine shot. Most pets do not react beyond a flinch.
• Myth: registration is optional. If your contact info is missing or outdated, the chip cannot help.

Keep Your Registration Current

A chip is only as good as the phone number and email on file. If you move, change numbers, or add an alternate contact, update the registry right away. Many databases allow free lifetime updates and let you add multiple phone numbers and a backup contact who answers during the day. Keep your pet’s chip number with your vaccination records and save the registry login in your password manager. If you do not know your registry, your vet can scan the chip and guide you to the right database based on the manufacturer code.

• Review yearly. Add a chip check to your annual wellness visit and confirm the info on file.
• List two contacts. Include a cell and a reliable backup who will answer unknown numbers.
• Record your number. Store the chip ID in your phone under your pet’s name for quick reference.

If Your Pet Goes Missing

Act quickly and cover the basics. Most lost pets are found within a short radius of home. Immediate steps raise your odds and shorten the search. Microchipping complements these actions. If your pet is scanned at a clinic or shelter, the call can come in while you are still posting flyers.

• Search the neighborhood. Walk or drive slowly, call your pet’s name, and ask neighbors to check garages and sheds.
• Alert local shelters and animal control. File lost reports with your county shelter and animal control office.
• Visit in person. Shelters describe animals differently. Daily visits prevent missed matches.
• Post clear photos. Share to local lost pet groups and neighborhood boards with cross streets and contact numbers.
• Check online found listings. Many good Samaritans post photos of pets they have secured and plan to scan.

If You Find A Lost Pet

Many found pets belong to families searching right now. Handle the animal safely and help it get scanned as soon as possible.

• Secure and scan. Take the pet to any vet clinic, emergency vet, or county shelter to check for a chip.
• Call animal control. Your county’s animal control can receive the pet or guide you to the right shelter.
• Share a found post. Include a clear photo, cross streets, and where the pet was seen. Avoid posting collar tag numbers for privacy.

Where to Get Help

If you need support after losing a pet or if you run into issues with microchipping, there are practical steps you can take to get assistance. Local animal services and veterinary offices are often the best first contacts, and they can guide you toward the right resources without delay.

• Contact local services. Keep the phone number of your county animal control or shelter handy so you can check intake procedures quickly.
• Report or get help. If you paid for a chip that does not appear in a registry or a clinic refuses to scan, document the issue and reach out to your local animal services office or your veterinarian for guidance.

Quick Checklist

• Chip your dog or cat at your next vet visit or a local clinic.
• Register the chip and add two current phone numbers and an email.
• Scan once a year to confirm the number reads correctly.
• Update the registry when you move or change phone numbers.

Microchipping is quick, low cost, and proven to bring families back together. Take the simple steps today so if the unexpected happens, your pet has a reliable path back home.