@yodelma Yes, the information about the flu coming in from imported dogs was alarming. What struck me was that the dogs (in question) were properly vetted and quarantined - and they still missed it. Perhaps the receiving vets weren't informed from the sending vets (beware: potential flu carriers)...
Microchipped lost dogs
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I went to a all breed dog club meeting tonight that I am interested in joining. The question about microchipping came up and no one there knew of any dog that had been lost and returned due to having the microchip, has anyone heard of any? They are thinking about doing a tatoo clinic at a Bark in the Park, and someone brought up microchipping instead, the woman who had suggested the tattoo clinic said she didn't know the success rate for the microchip and did not know any dog who had been returned because of it. I thought I would ask here if anyone has had any experience with having a dog returned thanks to having their dog microchipped?
Just curious.
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I don't personally know of any… but I guess that's because none of my friends have lost their dogs.
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actually i just had an experience with this. I was out with Tayda and Lenny the other day and a big Golden Retriever trotted past looking lost and anxious. I took my dogs inside and got in my car to find this dog. I ended up finding it in the back of an apartment complex and there was also a cop there who had been called because people were reporting a big dog in traffic almost getting hit. I asked the cop what he was going to do with the dog and he said he had to take it to the humane society. I just couldn't let that happen. so i offered to take it, and call the humane society to let them know i had it in case someone came looking. I took it home and was bathing it, when the cop called back and said "lets take it to the emergency vet clinic to see if it has a microchip" so he came and took the dog there (i requested to go also) he said that some vet clinics will do the scanning for free if a police requests it. we got the number off the chip, and called the number of the "chip" company. They had the name/number of the vet that implanted the chip. We called that vet, but since it was sunday, they were closed. Apparantly the default is that the chip returns the vets information unless you pay more to have your own info put on there. i offered to keep the dog until the next day and i would call the vet.
i never had to do that though, because in a few hours, someone had called the humane society looking for it and they came to get him. it was nice to reunite them all. actually, it ended up being a sad story. a couple came to pick up the dog, Bo, and the man said "the dog was actually my fathers companion, but he died last week, and we are now taking care of him" he said he felt so sad all morning because the dog was so important to his father and he felt he had let him down by losing the dog so quickly.
The vet clinic that was on the chip was actually really close to my house. I wonder if his owner (the father) lived near me and the dog was actually trying to go home? the couple lived like 4 miles away…. that dog traveled a long way!
anyway, sorry to make a short answer long. I've actually thought of calling the chip company that implanted lennys chip to see what info it gives... the breeder had him chipped before i got him.
oh, and i asked the cop if it was standard procedure to have the dog scanned, and he said 'not really, but we do it if we have time.' I also asked the humane society if they scan dogs as standard procedure... and they said 'yes'. so i think either way Bo would have been found. thats good to know.
I wonder though, what Basenjis would do if they got away... i feel like they would just keep running and running, and wouldn't necessarily let people get close to them. Golden Retrievers are so friendly toward people, so it was so easy to get him in the car. Actually i put him in the back of my car, and by the time I sat down in the drivers seat, he had jumped into the front passenger seat and put his head on my lap!
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I do not know of any personally, but just recently a dog from TEXAS was found in TN and returned to his owner through his microchip. They believe the dog traveled with a trucker (was found near truck stop), because the dog was in great shape to have traveled 900 miles from home.
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I know of at least one because I found it. The dog had long thick hair and its tag was flat on its collar so we didn't see it until after we had contacted the microchip company. It had escaped out of the yard while its owners were out for a romantic evening out. They were very relieved to have their dog back.
Also, BCONC got back a rescue because it was microchipped. The owner did not honor our contract by contacting us when she could no longer the keep the dog but it was returned to us when the shelter called us as the secondary contact.
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I read once about a lady in Indiana who was walking her dog (not a basenji) after dark and was hit and killed by a car. She had no ID on her. The dog was not injured but was taken to a vet. When they scanned him they were able to identify the owner and notify her family. Not exactly the purpose of microchipping but it was a blessing of sorts in this case.
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I have personally had my Basenji returned to me thanks to her microchip. A college roommate left a back door open and went into my room to borrow a movie, not thinking about Saboo getting out. I got a call on my cell phone from animal control and left work to go get her.
As far as default info being the vet clinic's, the way it works is this:
Whatever company (vet, animal shelter, rescue, etc) purchases the microchip will always be linked to that chip no matter how many times the animal changes hands. Entire batches of microchips automatically "belong" to the issuer. On the chip, you then register your information, and often an emergency contact as well. Depending on the chip company, some will actually charge you to register your information. Others are completely free to register your info.
As some of you may know, I work for a humane society. I've personally reunited many owners and pets through microchipping. There was a cat (named Doc) that I returned to it's owner on Tuesday, as a matter of fact. We've also had animals returned to us from high-kill shelters thanks to microchips. Microchips have allowed us to prosecute for the abandonment of one of our dogs.
Microchipping is only as effective as the people wielding the scanner. It's certainly not foolproof, but neither are tattoos or tags. It certainly doesn't hurt anything, and if you're creative, you can often find a low-cost microchipping clinic and get your critters done for $15-30.
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Yes, I know of quite a few basenjis that have been returned, either to their owners, or breeders because of their microchips.
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We have also included our breeders as an emergency contact. Heaven forbid something happens to both my husband and I we have an emergency plan that our Bs should go back to their breeders. I can rest easy knowing that if something happens to me my Bs will always be in good hands
It's sad to think about but necessary.
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We have both our dogs micro chipped at a Basenji speciality show. Our male did fine, then when it was our female's turn she screemed bloody murder.
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I believe it is better to error on the side of caution. I have friends who lost one of their standard poodles in a very rural area. She didn't even have tags on her collar, let alone a chip. To this day, they still haven't put tags on their other standard poodle, nor is he microchipped. Makes no sense to me!! Hollie came chipped… mandatory by the shelter I rescued her from.
