What’s smaller than a grain of rice, costs $20 and can help keep your pet out of harm’s way? Why, it’s a microchip, of course!
From noon to 3 p.m. this Saturday, September 25th, the Kent County Animal Shelter invites you to bring your dog or cat by to “get chipped” at a special microchip clinic. The clinic takes place in the training room at the Kent County Animal Shelter, 740 Fuller Ave. NE, Grand Rapids. Shelter staff will implant the microchip for a cost of $20 per pet. Cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover are accepted. No appointments are necessary and pets will be chipped on a first-come, first-served basis. Dogs must be on a leash and cats in a carrier.

“Responsible pet ownership means protecting your pet from harm,” said Cathy Raevsky, Administrative Health Officer for the Kent County Health Department, which oversees the shelter. “A microchip is a low-cost and reliable way to make sure that you can easily be reunited with your pet in the event of loss.”

Data contained in each microchip is linked to a national database containing owner and pet information. Chips are injected into a pet, between the shoulder blades, just under the skin. If a pet is lost or disputed, it only takes a wave of a microchip-detecting wand to pull up the owner identification number. All lost pets that enter the shelter are scanned for microchips, allowing a quick and efficient return home which helps pet owner avoid the stress of worrying about a lost pet for a prolonged period of time. Additional advantages of microchipping include:

• There are about 50,000 microchip scanners currently in use by shelters, veterinarians, and municipal organizations in the U.S.

• Microchipping is permanent, completely unalterable, and does not change or harm the appearance of the animal in any way. The procedure is safe, inexpensive, fast and virtually painless for the animal.

• Collar tags are a great way to identify lost pets and reunite them with their owners, but they can easily come off or be removed.

Dog owners that live in Kent County and desire a microchip at the clinic must have their dog licensed, or purchase a license at time of microchip implantation. Owner identification, proof of current rabies vaccination and spay/neuter status must be presented by the owner to purchase a dog license.