Microchip Clinic

Making Sure Every Pet Comes Home Safely

Microchipping your pet with HBSPCA is the #1 way to ensure every lost pet finds their way home

At the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA (HBSPCA), we’ve implanted thousands of microchips, giving pet owners confidence and assurance and, most importantly, keeping their pets safe! For only $25.00, you can microchip your pet and ensure their safety for life. Microchipping your cat or dog is a one-time procedure that will last a lifetime. The simple and painless process performed at the HBSPCA can significantly improve your chances of locating your missing pet. According to data from Eidap Inc, pets with microchips are up to 20 times more likely to be reunited with their owners. It’s really quick and it lasts forever.

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Process & Procedure

Microchips are approximately the size of a grain of rice and are inserted beneath the animal’s skin, between its shoulder blades. The process is painless and takes about two minutes at the HBSPCA clinic. When scanned, the microchip displays a unique identification number. The first three digits of this number identify the microchip manufacturer, the remaining numbers are a unique identifier for your pet. With this information, a clinic or animal shelter can quickly obtain your contact information to reunite you with your pet.

The owner of the pet will then get contacted by the microchip service company and they’ll receive information on where they can locate their pet. Owners have been reunited with their pets who had been missing for days, weeks, months, and even years thanks to the animals’ microchips.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a microchip?

A microchip is a rice-sized radio-frequency identification device (RFID), that is quickly and painlessly inserted under your pet's skin. It is not a GPS, but a permanent form of ID that can be registered in a recovery database, which holds info about the pet and its owner.

Does it hurt my pet?

The procedure is quick and fairly painless. The process is the same as receiving a vaccination.

How do I update my information?

If your contact information changes you would contact 24 PetWatch to update your information. 1 866 597 2424 or www.24petwatch.com.

If your pet was microchipped somewhere other than HBSPCA, their information may be registered with a different database. If you have your pet's microchip number, you can use the AAHA microchip lookup tool to find which company to contact:  https://www.aaha.org/petmicrochiplookup. (*this tool can find the manufacturer for you to contact, it does not directly register microchips).

How does pet microchipping work?

When a pet goes missing and is found, animal shelters, veterinarians, and animal control officers can use a microchip scanner to read the chip's ID number. This number is then used to look up the pet owner's contact information in a database, facilitating the pet's safe return home.

Can a microchip track my pet's location?

No, a microchip does not have GPS tracking capabilities. It only contains a unique identification number. However, some pet tracking devices do utilize GPS technology for location tracking, but these are separate from microchips.

Do I still need a collar and ID tag if my pet is microchipped?

Yes, it's recommended to have both a collar with an ID tag and a microchip for your pet. Collars and tags provide visible identification that can quickly reunite you with your pet if they become lost, while a microchip offers permanent identification that cannot be lost or removed.

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Give your pet the security they deserve with a microchip from the HBSPCA - no appointment needed!

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