judy
Well-known member
Nicki said:...What we need to encourage is that all vets check all newly registered dogs for chips, as that would pick up some of the lost/stolen dogs if the ID throws up a different owner...
I think vets should scan the dogs of every new client. How else can microchipping work to its potential? When i got Zack, i went to two vet offices and one emergency hospital that had had no contact with me before and as far as i know, Zack was never scanned. Would they do it without telling me at the hospital being xrayed? i doubt it. but i dont know.
i think it should be routine to scan dogs that you see for the first time and confirm that their owners are the ones registered with the chip. Otherwise, microchipping is being grossly underutilized. If someone steals my dog, he's not likely to be seen by the animal control people, why would he be? but he may be seen by a vet.
I dont think any owner should be offended by this if the owner is new to the vet. If the vet has known the owner through other pets, i would say it would be up to the judgement of the vet based on their feeling about the person, but i dont think it would be that hard for a vet to scan the dog and explain that it's just routine policy to scan all new patients.
otherwise, how can microchipping be of any help except for in rescue and impound situations? Surely more dogs are lost and stolen that never come in contact with rescue organizations or the government than those who do.
i once used a trap provided by the animal shelter to catch a cat that was meowing loudly for food outside my bedroom window every day at 4 and 5am and would not be dissuaded, and i then took the cat to the no kill shelter where i had borrowed the trap, and they scanned her right there while i was standing there, and they said she had an owner who they telephoned right then while i was still there, but they didnt' reach anyone so i dont know what happened.