Technology is constantly evolving, giving owners more reliable ways to protect their pets. You don’t have to depend solely on collar tags anymore. Microchips give loving pet parents the best chance of reuniting with their fur babies. These tiny electronic devices are safe, painless and completely foolproof. There’s no reason not to microchip your pet!

Microchipping is so important, it deserved its own month of recognition. In honor of National Chip Your Pet Month, here’s everything you need to know about microchipping and why you should do it.

How does microchipping a pet work?

Microchips are electronic devices housed inside a glass capsule. They’re the size of a grain of rice, and your pet won’t feel it at all. Scanning a microchip reveals the microchip company’s name and a unique identification number. Vets, shelters and animal control agencies use this identification number to reunite lost pets with their owners.

Installing a microchip takes mere seconds and causes minimal discomfort. Since it’s so small, the microchip is inserted with a needle. Vets inject microchips into the tissue between a pet’s shoulder blades. There’s no need for anesthesia—all your pet will feel is a tiny pinch. The procedure has zero side effects or lasting pain at the injection site. After a quick shot, your pet is ready to go home!

Pet parents need to complete a few steps following the procedure. The vet will ask you to register the microchip with its manufacturing company. A microchip is helpful only if the rightful owner is associated with it. All you need to do is fill out a form with your name and contact information. The microchip company will enter your information into their national database so that a vet, shelter or animal control agency can contact you.

Benefits of microchipping your pet

Every pet parent should consider microchipping their fur baby. Chips offer multiple benefits and pose virtually no risk to your pet’s health. Take a closer look at why your pet should get microchipped as soon as possible.

• Increase the chances of reuniting: Pets with microchips are way more likely to become reunited with their owners if they’re lost. Before putting up a pet for adoption, shelters scan every lost animal to see if they have a microchip. If the scanner detects a microchip, staff will look up the owner’s contact information in the database. A pet without a microchip has no guarantee of returning to its original pet parent. In that case, the shelter might have to find the animal a new home.
• Stop thieves from stealing your pet: Many pet parents believe collar tags are enough to prove ownership. However, tags are unreliable when lost pets fall into the wrong hands. Someone could easily claim your fur baby as their own by clipping on tags with their name and address. A microchip is the only way to prove you’re the rightful owner. They’re impossible to tamper with and remain permanently embedded in the animal’s body.
• Back up collar tags: ID tags won’t always identify you as the owner. Collars can break, slip off or get removed by thieves. Even if the collar remains intact, ID tags get scratched up over time. Someone who finds a senior pet might not be able to read the faded printing on a tag. Microchips are the only surefire way to prove a pet is yours because nothing can damage or remove it.
• Protect your personal information: Collar tags aren’t totally useless. If a neighbor finds your pet on the street, they can easily contact you without bringing the animal to a shelter. Unfortunately, not everyone who finds a lost pet is a Good Samaritan. Even if they return the pet, your name and home address are still in the hands of a stranger. Microchips identify you as the rightful owner without giving away private information to the general public. With a microchip, the only people who have access to your information are vets and shelter staff.

If your pet isn’t microchipped, now is the time to make it happen. It’s never too late to give your fur baby an extra layer of protection. Every owner likes to think their pet won’t get lost, but there’s no telling what the future might hold! A lost pet with no microchip could fill you with regret. Protect the bond you two share by getting them microchipped today.