Adopted pets now getting microchips at county shelter

Prince William SPCA is sponsoring a new microchip program at the Prince William County Animal Shelter. Each pet adopted from the shelter will receive a complimentary microchip. Strays that enter the shelter system and are redeemed by their families will also receive microchips before departing. There is no fee to the pet owner for this service.

The program, which started Jan. 1, will run throughout 2014 and will support the shelter with an estimated $15,000 in direct funding. The program uses SmartTag Microchips that are registered at the time the pet leaves the shelter.
 
A Smart Tag Microchip carry an identification number that is unique to each individual pet.  While they do not serve as tracking devices, microchips can permanently and positively identify pets, linking them back to the owners.

If a pet gets lost and is taken to a vet clinic or animal shelter, it will be scanned for a microchip to reveal its unique ID number. That number will be called into the pet recovery service and the owner will be contacted using the information on file with the pet’s microchip. 

Since there is no battery and no moving parts, there is nothing to keep charged, wear out, or replace.  The microchip will last the pet’s lifetime.

“Amber Alerts”  can be instantly sent to broadcast the alert, with all the pet’s details, via email, phone and fax to all the shelters and rescue organizations in a 50-mile radius of the pet’s last know location. 

The chip has a 24/7 free live support feature that owners can call for any lost/found pet situations or questions.  They also provide free “Instant Lost Pet Posters” that can be created with one click of the button and then printed at home.__

Melissa Korzuch, president of the Prince William SPCA, was quoted as saying,  “Microchips have been proven to be an invaluable tool in reuniting pets with their families.  They are insurance that no pet owner should do without.”, microchips also play a vital role in recovering stolen pets.  They can easily be used to determine the rightful owner and return the pet back to its family.”

Prince William SPCA will sponsor several clinics in 2014 for people who own a pet and want a microchip for him/her. The first will be Saturday, March 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Petco, 10055 Wellington Rd., Manassas, Va.  Fee includes the registration.  All pets must be on leashes (dogs) or in crates (cats) and will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Register adjacent to the P.A.W. Express mobile adoption unit.

The Prince William SPCA is an independent nonprofit organization established in 2004 to benefit the animals of the greater Prince William County, Virginia, area. For more information go to http://www.pwspca.org