The needle gun used to insert the microchip and the scanner to track the pet. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

By Ian Gustafson

SPCA Microchip Clinic

Microchip offers immediate solution to returning lost pets

Jan 25, 2020 | 3:43 PM

The Prince Albert SPCA is holding a microchip clinic until Sunday for local pet owners.

The process of getting a dog or cat micro chipped takes less than ten minutes.

SPCA manager Ashlee Bober told paNOW they are trying to put on the clinics regularly because it is the most effective way to have a lost pet brought home.

“If an animal happens to run away, [or] if an animal goes into any vet clinic or any shelter actually anywhere in North America the vet clinics as well as the shelters will have a little microchip scanner,” Bober explained.

Once the animal is scanned a nine-digit number will come up and the company can be contacted for all information about the animal and return it home.

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“Then the owner knows exactly when that animal comes in, they are aware,” she said. “If they’re not micro chipped, we’re going through leaps and bounds trying to find the owner.”

She added it is common for pet owners to have their animals run away and it is important to have an easy way for return. It also helps in the instance where the wrong person tries to claim an animal.

The microchip itself is the size of a grain of rice and is inserted underneath the skin between the shoulder blades via a needle gun . Although it is possible for the chip to move over time it doesn’t happen very often.

“It’s not an intense procedure by any means. It’s very fast and it’s not very painful for the animals,” Bober said. “Most animals that come in we’re sitting there petting them while they get micro chipped …they don’t even realize that it’s done.”

She added the majority of pets in the P.A. area are not micro chipped but they plan on hosting more clinics in the future.

This weekend’s clinic started yesterday and Bober said by Saturday morning they’ve had around 25 people take advantage of the opportunity. It costs $25 to get an animal done.

“This morning when we first opened, we were busy right off the hop with probably around eight or nine animals here,” she said. “It’s not a very expensive cost to have your animal found and returned to you.”

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Ian.gustafson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @iangustafson12