Boksburg SPCA adopts microchipping

As of the beginning of this year, all cats and dogs adopted from the Boksburg SPCA are fitted not only with a collar and identification disc, but also an Identipet microchip.

Boksburg SPCA manager Maggie Mudd said new owners have to complete the microchip paperwork at the SPCA so that their contact details can be registered along with the details of the animal being adopted, with Identipet.

The SPCA provided answers to some common frequently asked questions about microchips:

What is a microchip and how does it work?

A pet microchip uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and, like the name suggests, uses radio waves as a medium to transmit information to a portable scanner that is able to read the microchip’s information (which is a unique identification number for the animal).

From this number (as long as the microchip has been registered), anyone finding the animal is able to trace the owner and advise them that their lost pet has been found.

Can a microchip be traced like a tracker fitted in a car?

Sadly, no. Microchips in animals hold vital information but have no battery or internal power source and sit inside the animal waiting to be read by a microchip scanner.

How is a microchip discovered?

All stray cats and dogs entering the Boksburg SPCA are scanned for microchips before being placed in the kennels or catteries.

If a microchip is discovered then the company who sold the chip (Identipet, Get Me Known, etc.) are contacted and the unique number is given. If the microchip has been registered, then the company will be able to trace the number and give the contact details and address of the person who owns the animal to the SPCA. The SPCA then contacts the owner advising them that their pet has been found and is at the SPCA.

How big is a microchip?

The chip is tiny – roughly the size of a grain of rice.

Where is the microchip inserted and how?

The microchip is implanted via an injection into the nape of an animal’s neck.

How long does it take?

The chip is inserted as quickly as a vaccination is administered.

Why does the animal’s body not reject this foreign item?

The chip is encapsulated in a glass material that is bio-compatible and non-toxic which does not hurt the animal and prevents an allergic reaction to the chip. Some chips (like Identipet) also include a cap made of polypropylene polymer which helps to prevent the chip from migrating from the implantation site by encouraging connective tissue to form around the chip to hold it in place.

What must I do if I am given an animal already implanted with a microchip?

It is vitally important that the company which manufactured the chip (and where it is registered) is immediately contacted and the details on record are changed from the original owner to that of the current owner.

What about if I purchase an animal from a breeder and it has a microchip implanted?

Some breeders will microchip their puppies/kittens before they sell them and, like being given an animal with a chip already implanted, it is important that the breeder’s details are changed to that of the current owner.

How long will the microchip last?

The good news is that microchips do not expire or wear down, and are good for the lifespan of the animal that they have been implanted in.

What are the benefits of having a microchip implanted over my pet wearing a collar and ID disc?

There are benefits to both methods of identification: A collar and disc are very visible and it has been shown that members of the public are more likely to pick up a stray animal and bring it into the SPCA if they can see it is wearing a collar and disc. However, collars and identification discs can be removed by unscrupulous persons wanting to keep the lost animal that has been found.

Microchips require a scanner to read them and without this it is impossible to see that the animal has a microchip implanted.

A microchip (as long as it is registered) can prove ownership if an animal is stolen and the owner discovers ‘their’ pet at another address. Simply by scanning the animal and obtaining the unique identification number (that is registered in the owner’s details) it is possible to prove just who the owner is.

“It is because of the pros and cons to both methods of identification that Boksburg SPCA decided that all animals adopted will be homed with both forms of identification – one, or both, should see an owner reconnected with their lost pet,” Mudd said.

The Boksburg SPCA will implant and register microchips with the owner’s contact details for a fee of R250 per animal and anyone interested in having this done is asked to come into the SPCA office with their pet.

“As already explained, it is a quick procedure and all chips are scanned to ensure that they are working before the animal and owner leaves.

“Our collars (elasticated for cats and kittens) range from R25 for small dogs or cats to R60 for large dogs and the ID discs are R25 each,” Mudd added.