Connecting with Your Dog's Microchip

What does a dog microchip do? And why does my pet need one? Those are just a few of the many questions out there regarding the benefits of chipping your dog, which is why we’re exploring everything you need to know about how dog chips work and how they can help both you and your furry family member.

What Is a Dog Microchip?

A dog microchip is a tiny device that’s inserted under your pet’s skin between their shoulder blades. The chip itself is only about the size of a grain of rice, and the procedure to implant it is akin to administering a routine shot, so you don’t have to worry about causing your pet any pain or discomfort.

You can chip your dog at any time, although it’s recommended to do so before bringing your new pet home. Chipping your dog can be as easy as bringing them to your veterinarian, a local animal shelter, or even a microchipping event.

Why Microchipping Your Dog Matters

Microchipping your dog is recommended because it provides your pet a unique and permanent identification number. However, getting your dog a microchip is only the first—albeit essential—step.

Once your dog has a microchip, it’s important to register their number and your contact information to a registry like the HomeAgain National Pet Recovery Database. This gives them the best chance of returning home should they ever become lost, which sadly happens to about 10 million pets every year according to American Humane.

Even if they wear a collar or tag, chipping your dog is still important since collars and tags can accidentally fall off and become difficult to read over time.

How HomeAgain Can Help You & Your Dog

When a pet is lost, owners notify HomeAgain either through the website https://www.homeagain.com or the staffed 24/7, 365-day U.S.-based Lost Pet Recovery call center (1-888-HOMEAGAIN).Once a found pet is scanned by one of the 50,000 scanners at veterinary clinics and shelters throughout the U.S., HomeAgain then locates the pet owner through the contact information linked to the microchip number.  HomeAgain has been successfully reuniting pets with their families for over 20 years and has celebrated nearly 3 million happy reunions.

But that’s far from the only service HomeAgain offers you and your dog.

For premium members, HomeAgain will send out Lost Pet Alerts to participating animal shelters, veterinary clinics and HomeAgain PetRescuers in the area of where the pet was last seen.

And even when your pet is safe and sound at home, HomeAgain offers their premium members 24/7 emergency medical hotline so that you can seek advice when you need it most.

The Benefits of a Dog Chip Beyond HomeAgain

It’s every pet owner’s hope that their dog’s chip will never have to be used to help bring them home again. But you don’t have to wait for the worst to happen to enjoy the benefits of chipping your dog.  

Certain devices like the SureFlap^® Microchip Pet Door Connect actually sync with your dog’s chip, giving them the freedom to go inside and outside the home while keeping intruder animals out. Plus, with the Sure Petcare App, you can create curfews so that the microchip pet door will automatically lock and unlock at designated times.

But regardless of whether your dog is safe and sound at home or momentarily away from his loving family, perhaps the biggest benefit of chipping your dog is the peace of mind you can enjoy every single day.