It’s almost July and you know what that means: barbeques, open doors, fireworks, and scared pets. This time of year can be especially frightening for our furry friends. In our experience, July 4th is the busiest holiday for lost pets in the whole year. Here are some ways that you can prepare your pets and keep them safe and calm before and during the celebrations:

Take your dog out for plenty of exercise during the day before the festivities begin
Keep pets indoors. They may feel safer if they are placed in a smaller interior room with a radio/tv playing.
Close your windows. Dogs in particular can try and get out of the house by pushing out the screen. Dogs have been known to bolt through screen doors, so keep your inside door closed.
Check your fence line for loose boards or openings that your dog could slip through or dig out of. We suggest you even keep a leash on your dog and walk them in the fenced yard during peak fireworks times. Never leave your pet unattended, even in a secure yard.
Have current, clear photos of your pets on hand. If they do go missing, you will want to be able to quickly create flyers to distribute in your neighborhood.
Make sure all your pets' microchips are registered and your contact information is up-to-date in your pet's microchip account, and that they are wearing visible ID such as collars and tags that display their name and microchip number clearly.
If you have outdoor cats, make sure they are inside before nightfall during this season.
Provide a safe space for pets to retreat such as a closed room with their favorite toys, blankets, pillows, and plenty of water.

REMEMBER: if your pet gets scared by the fireworks and escapes from your property, don’t panic! They are generally running away to find a hiding spot away from the loud noises and flashing lights. Do not chase or whistle for the animal, as it may make them more distressed. Alert local authorities, animal shelters, and put in a Lost Pet Report with your local Facebook and Neighborhood groups.

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What is microchipping?

Microchipping is a step which you can take to assure that should your pet get loose out into the wild, you two can be reunited. It can be done with a variety of animals, including horses, dogs, cats, ferrets, and most other mammals.

It is a process that involves a grain-sized microchip placed under the skin of the pet. Should your pet get picked up by a local vet or shelter, the unique number can be used to identify you as the owner and provide contact information. The more chances of pet reunification, the less homeless animals roam the streets and bide their time in shelters. What the chip does not do is act as a GPS-tracker to specifically locate your pet.

The most important step— registration!

Once the chip is in place, you’re probably thinking—all set! My work here is done. Not quite. Due to privacy-protecting protocols, microchip companies require the owner to personally register their pet’s microchip and input their personal contact information into a password-protected portal. This assures not just anyone can get ahold of your pet. You might be thinking the facility that has scanned your pet now has all of your information, but fear not.

Privacy-protecting protocols

Your privacy is protected through the microchipping company, which acts as your middleman. For example, when the vet scans your pet, they will receive a unique identification number that they will share with the microchip service when declaring a found pet. The microchip service will then reference the number in their database and reach out to you with the details of where your pet is and how to get ahold of the vet. This assures that your private information is not being shared with third parties.

Effectiveness of microchipping

Involving over 7,700 stray pets, the number of non-microchipped dogs that were safely returned to their owners was just under 22%. Whereas, dogs with implanted microchips have a 51.2% chance of being reunited with their owners.

Pain-free, worry free

A Datamars Microfindr microchip is the size of a grain of rice which contains a radio transmitter and a minute electronic device containing the animal’s ID number. It is placed between the shoulder blades of your pet. Think of the pain level similar to an injection or vaccine. Microchipping takes mere seconds and does not require putting your pet under any anesthesia.

Because microchips use radio-frequency identification technology, microchips do not require a power source like a GPS. When a microchip scanner is passed over the pet, the microchip gets enough power from the scanner to transmit the microchip’s ID number. Since there’s no battery and no moving parts, there’s nothing to keep charged, wear out, or replace. The microchip will last your pet’s lifetime.

PetLink at River Landings Animal Clinic

PetLink is the service we use here at River Landings Animal Clinic. This service, in particular, offers lifetime registration and no update fees. The service is available to you 24/7/365. Give us a call to schedule a chance to micro chip your pet today.