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Glad to hear it. Our Yorkie Nellie snuck out under the fence last summer. My hubby (I yelled at him) didn't even notice because he was lounging in the pool (I wasn't home). Then he gets a call from a dog walker a few blocks away...go figure she was found by a dog walker! She was not chipped at the time but had her tags thank god. Once we adopted Sabrina, we had the shelter microchip Nellie too.
This reminds me a bit of my last dog, Kaya. She was an Australian cattle dog mix, and given the opportunity, loved to go on her own personal walkabouts. One evening my son had a friend over, and I didn't realize that he'd gone into the backyard to put his bike there...turns out he left the back gate open. The next morning I put Kaya in the yard - can't see the gate from the back door - and she saw her chance and took it. When I discovered she was gone, she and my son scoured the neighbourhoods on our bikes, searching for our wayward dog. Two hours later I returned, only to find a message on my answering machine...five blocks away, some guy discovered Kaya happily exploring his backyard after she'd jumped his fence. He saw the vet tag she had on her collar, called the vet, the vet's office called me...and that's how we got our girl back. (btw, when I went to pick her up she had this look on her face when she saw me...an "Oh hey, hi! What're you doing here?" expression. *sigh*)
For those who have thought about microchipping but haven't yet: All microchip services are not created equal. I have one of my Danes chipped with Home Again and the other with 24 Pet Watch. My older girl has the Home Again tag. She is the first of two Danes I've ever had chipped, because my vet used Home Again. I naively believed that microchipping is good, I would just pay the fee at the vet, they would take care of it, and everything would be fine as long as I kept our personal demographic information current. Yeah, right! I took my Danes in and got them chipped at the same time by my vet for $30 each. My vet assured me that was the only charge I would have to pay. But it was not.
One year later, I was moving to a new house. I went to the Home Again website to change my address and they would not let me change it without paying more money! I called them and a rude representative informed me that I could either pay $20/each dog ANNUALLY for the ability to change their info, or a lifetime "membership" of $40 each dog. I refused. Even if I paid the $40 each, how could I be sure they wouldn't just hit me up again when they had a corporate cash flow problem?
Since then, one of my Danes with the Home Again chip has passed away, but my one older Dane still has the Home Again chip. Unfortunately, that means my older Dane female now has a useless microchip implanted under her skin containing inaccurate information. When I asked the vet if I could get another microchip from another company for her, he advised against it because of the conflicting information each chip would contain. When I got my younger Dane, I used another company, 24 Pet Watch, for the microchipping. They do NOT charge extra for information changes after implantation. The fee is truly a lifetime all inclusive fee. So her information is accurate should she get lost. And they both have old fashioned ID tags, which they've always had. Sometimes old school is the best way : )
Breeder chipped the female when a pup and all I had to do was pay a one time fee ($22.95) to Microchip. Then when I picked up the male last year from a rescue, it had already been chipped by Home Again. I was able to transfer the registration for free to my name, after I mailed in the transfer form.
I have since registered the male to Microship for a one time fee of $22.95 just for the heck of it.
Also have them registered at a free site, Found Animals. The free site is probably just as good, but sort of leery of free sites.
Both sites allow free updates to information. Both sites allow registration of any chip; my female has a AVID chip from the breeder, the male has a Home Again chip (he came from a rescue, and Home again transferred it for free).
Has anyone ever had their vet check the chips to verify the scanner can read the chip(s)?
My dog was found via microchip (that I didn't know she had)!
A friend was keeping my dog and her children left the gate open. We looked all over, visited all the animal shelters in the county, posted photo posters...nothing. I just prayed she went quickly if she had died and assumed, maybe a coyote was the culprit.
Fast forward 10 months later.
I get a call at work saying "We found a black cocker and the microchip says ...( my name and the name of my dog). I said, "Yes." Then all of a sudden the woman on the other end of the line says, "Oh, we made a mistake." and hangs up!? I waited til my work day was done (a couple of hours as I was unable to take personal calls on my tight schedule) and called the number back. It was agony waiting as I was completely stunned by the call and the sudden end to it.
I returned the call and had to leave a message. I got a voicemail the next day and upon returning that call finally got through and, sure enough, it was my dog and a plan for getting her to me was put in place. I NEVER got a response to my question as to why the initial contact ended as a 'mistake'. Weird.
So, apparently my dog was picked up almost immediately, after she got out of the yard, by the first shelter that I visited (twice) all those months before! They then shipped her to a cocker rescue group in a neighboring state. There, they put her up for adoption, but she didn't get adopted and due to her age, and the fact that they diagnosed her with a kidney ailment, they would have euthanized her. However, they fell for her and decided to provide surgery. As far as I understood the timeline of this whole sequence of events, this is when the vet scanned her and found the chip had shifted from its expected location. She recovered nicely. They contacted me. Then she was transported back to my state/county and arrangements were made to bring her home. Two weeks later, she was returned to me.
This whole thing was surreal to me. For almost a year I would pass by the exit leading to my friends house (who had taken care of her for me) and I had to fight down the urge every time to go look yet again. I would look for a little black bundle of energy, crazily expecting to see her trotting down the highway home...
To me, it was a miracle. I can't imagine what she must have gone through, being lost, caught, transported long distances, having a major surgery and then transported anew, then home again. But, I bet she had a great time, on the other hand, as she would best be described as 'intrepid'. She was thinner and, to me, the light in her eyes had dimmed, but she remembered all the old routines, including her name. She was very happy to be with me again after what I call her 'incredible journey'.
It was as if she had never been gone. But then, she was always a very joyful, energetic and social dog, which is why I adopted her those 4 years before I lost her and why I suspect the rescuers did not give up on her. The shelter where I adopted did NOT tell me that she had been chipped, so I just assumed that she was lost to me forever. I know that I was meant to have this dog. She is well and, though older, back to her happy self. She has been back home for 6 1/2 months now. I can hardly fathom it. She is a very special animal.
Btw, she got out of my unlocked gate after a service person came to do some work and I neglected to lock it when he was done last week! So I went into a panic. Oh, no! Not again! Luckily, I called and she came running. SMH. She is still adventurous... I loved her at first sight for this very reason and she is still my most amazing fur baby/friend.
Animal rescue programs are amazing. I made donations to all those involved in returning my dog to me and hope to do so on a regular basis.
@tangelag....wonderful, heartwarming story. It could have ended so badly, but for whatever reason your girl came back to you. Thanks so much for sharing.
What we found works is to register the chip. When/if you move, pay the fee to update the information. Annual registration is not necessary as the information is maintained. Also, there's a secondary contact/address for when you are not available - make sure you complete that as it is possible you could be travelling/sick and don't want to change your information. Make sure the secondary contact is either a very close friend or relative who will always know your whereabouts and who will be willing to make arrangements for the animal's return.
We chipped our cats as well as our dogs. And, because we frequently get strays/dumped animals, we bought our own chip reader and learned how to use it.
Every shelter/vets office should be aware that chips migrate and scan accordingly. Our older cat's chip is now located in the area of her upper leg/shoulder.
Most rescues who chip animals prior to adoption, have the registration for that chip with them as a secondary contact. So keep in touch with them if you move.
Breeder chipped the female when a pup and all I had to do was pay a one time fee ($22.95) to Microchip. Then when I picked up the male last year from a rescue, it had already been chipped by Home Again. I was able to transfer the registration for free to my name, after I mailed in the transfer form.
I have since registered the male to Microship for a one time fee of $22.95 just for the heck of it.
Also have them registered at a free site, Found Animals. The free site is probably just as good, but sort of leery of free sites.
Both sites allow free updates to information. Both sites allow registration of any chip; my female has a AVID chip from the breeder, the male has a Home Again chip (he came from a rescue, and Home again transferred it for free).
Has anyone ever had their vet check the chips to verify the scanner can read the chip(s)?
I did during their last physical. Just curious.
I have, because we all know computers can be glitchy So far so good for them both. But you might want to check about Home Again's free updates. They charged for changes several years back. I will check again to see. If they don't charge now, I will update my 6 year old Great Dane's info.
My Dog was Found Using a Microchip and Collar Tag!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypersion
I was out hunting rabbits yesterday in the Knoxville Wildlife area with my dog princess. I jumped a wire fence and walked for about 30 minutes before I noticed that dog wasn't with me. I just assumed she decided to stay at the car. I come back a few hours and later and she was no where to be found. I drove up and down the road calling for her but I couldn't find her. The next day I send out a notice on the microchip registry that my dog was lost and that day I got a call from the person that had found her! Thank god she had a microchip on her with a collar information.
So very happy for you but seriously, I read the headline/subject title and my first thought was that your dog was guilty of identity theft.....I think I need to listen to less commercials............................
I was out hunting rabbits yesterday in the Knoxville Wildlife area with my dog princess. I jumped a wire fence and walked for about 30 minutes before I noticed that dog wasn't with me. I just assumed she decided to stay at the car. I come back a few hours and later and she was no where to be found. I drove up and down the road calling for her but I couldn't find her. The next day I send out a notice on the microchip registry that my dog was lost and that day I got a call from the person that had found her! Thank god she had a microchip on her with a collar information.
Wow. How irresponsible. Your dog could have been dead, hurt or whatnot. She could have run away and another hunter shoot her accidentally - or yourself. How can you go happily hunting not knowing where your dog is?
I find dogs all the time, chase them, and return them and people act like it is no big deal. How can you say you love an animal but then don't make sure they are safe? That really baffles me.
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So far so good for them both. But you might want to check about Home Again's free updates. They charged for changes several years back. I will check again to see. If they don't charge now, I will update my 6 year old Great Dane's info.
My Dog was Found Using a Microchip and Collar Tag!
