Animal Welfare Professionals

Most people that find a stray dog or cat take them to a veterinarian office to be scanned to find the owner, but with so many animal thefts, find and keep situations, or ignorance that this should be done to find the rightful owner, I'd like to get feedback on approaching vet's offices to just automatically scan animals when they are brought to their office.  

What if someone just found a dog and took it to get a check up or shots and the vet's office discovered that the name didn't match?  Do they consider that it might have been stolen, especially if a pure breed?  Do they call to report that a dog is in their office that might be theirs?  They might find out that they sold or gave away the dog or that it was lost and never found.  

Microchipped animals are a form of proof of ownership.  It should be taken seriously.  The rightful owner might just rush over while the animal is being treated, groomed, neutered, to claim their animals . . . and the bill.

#vetoffice
#AnimalBehavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#dogs
#microchipscanningdogs
#ownership

I can’t speak for all veterinary clinics but the few I have worked at since microchipping became available do take consideration of lost, stolen or illegal sold animals.  It is a routine (again in the ones i have worked at) that we scan every new animal to the practice.  Recording the microchip number in the file for future use. 

Although I can sympathize with owners who have been victims of theft of their dear pet, how is every veterinary clinic suppose to keep track or know that an animal has been stolen? Its not good business to question every person who brings in a pet to require proof of purchase or adoption or letter of surrender from a friend etc.. 

Initially Microchip numbers are registered to the facility that implants them in patients.  It’s up to the owner of the pet to register their pets microchip number with manufacturer.  If an owner doesn’t register the number to them the number stays registered to the facility.  In case of a lost pet that is scanned and the manufacturer is called to find out who the pet belongs to- only the facility shows.  Then that facility is called and if they keep good records, they can tell you who the pet belongs too.  

So my question is who would the vet office call to verify the pet hasn’t been stolen if the original implanter didn’t keep good records, or the phone number that is registered with the microchip number is disconnected or no longer valid, or better yet the address on the registration is non-existence.  

Some veterinary hospitals are fortunate enough to have computer software that can alert the person entering in the microchip number into their database if its a duplicate in their own system.  There are just as many who are struggling to keep their doors open and costs down and still have a paper system.  

If the good samaritan brings in a lost pet it is scanned, numbers are called to track down the original owner. It’s happened more times over my years where an owner has forgotten to change contact information when moving and we cannot track down the owner.

It’s also happened where we have called and owner said “ oh i gave said pet to a friend, here is the number or i’ll call and in-form them”

But a pet that is stolen and taken to a different city, state - really there is no information hotline and alert system in place that reaches every pet care facility.  If there was maybe it wouldn’t happen as much - but then again “Amber alert” is a nationwide immediate alert system - and yes children are found sooner -  but the alert doesn’t stop the attempts.  

It boils down to prevention!  And hope you don’t fall victim too!

#AnimalBehavior,TrainingandEnrichment

I work in a vet office. I scan every pet that I check in, and record the number (unless my computer system shows, we previously scanned and recorded). I also talk to clients about microchips, often they don't even know whether or not their pet is chipped. In these cases I write the number and company down for them, and stress the importance of keeping their contact information up to date.
Once an owner with two dogs came in, and I didn't have a chance to look into the computer file. I scanned and found MCs and wrote them down on paper. A little later I was going to record the numbers and was surprised to find out, there were different numbers on the computer file! So I talked to the client, who told me they adopted both dogs years ago from a Humane Society, after they had been found stray in Seattle.  Another thorough scanning revealed, each of the dogs had two microchips! So I wonder if that shelter had missed them? Why would they place a second chip?? I talked to one of the companies and was informed, that a chip is no legal proof of ownership! Personally I believe, if it came down to a law suit, a microchip might indeed help the outcome.... but a lawyer would probably be a better person to ask.
As for our policy as a vet office: my boss made it very clear, that it is not upon us to verify ownership. If someone brings in a stray animal asking for help finding the owner, we will call and act as a point of contact. Otherwise we just record the patient's number in our system and remind the owner to keep it updated.

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marion wagner
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-08-2019 09:29 PM
From: Share CARES _
Subject: Microchip scanning at Vet's Offices for all Intakes

Most people that find a stray dog or cat take them to a veterinarian office to be scanned to find the owner, but with so many animal thefts, find and keep situations, or ignorance that this should be done to find the rightful owner, I'd like to get feedback on approaching vet's offices to just automatically scan animals when they are brought to their office.  

What if someone just found a dog and took it to get a check up or shots and the vet's office discovered that the name didn't match?  Do they consider that it might have been stolen, especially if a pure breed?  Do they call to report that a dog is in their office that might be theirs?  They might find out that they sold or gave away the dog or that it was lost and never found.  

Microchipped animals are a form of proof of ownership.  It should be taken seriously.  The rightful owner might just rush over while the animal is being treated, groomed, neutered, to claim their animals . . . and the bill.

#vetoffice
#AnimalBehavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#dogs
#microchipscanningdogs
#ownership

It doesn't happen often but sometimes we put a second microchip in an animal. We may have missed the first one or it may be an older, obscure chip with a company that doesn't easily facilitate transfer of the number to new owners. Our software allows us to put two numbers in.

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Kerry Lowary
Franklin County Humane Society
502-875-7297
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-01-2021 09:54 AM
From: marion wagner
Subject: Microchip scanning at Vet's Offices for all Intakes

I work in a vet office. I scan every pet that I check in, and record the number (unless my computer system shows, we previously scanned and recorded). I also talk to clients about microchips, often they don't even know whether or not their pet is chipped. In these cases I write the number and company down for them, and stress the importance of keeping their contact information up to date.
Once an owner with two dogs came in, and I didn't have a chance to look into the computer file. I scanned and found MCs and wrote them down on paper. A little later I was going to record the numbers and was surprised to find out, there were different numbers on the computer file! So I talked to the client, who told me they adopted both dogs years ago from a Humane Society, after they had been found stray in Seattle.  Another thorough scanning revealed, each of the dogs had two microchips! So I wonder if that shelter had missed them? Why would they place a second chip?? I talked to one of the companies and was informed, that a chip is no legal proof of ownership! Personally I believe, if it came down to a law suit, a microchip might indeed help the outcome.... but a lawyer would probably be a better person to ask.
As for our policy as a vet office: my boss made it very clear, that it is not upon us to verify ownership. If someone brings in a stray animal asking for help finding the owner, we will call and act as a point of contact. Otherwise we just record the patient's number in our system and remind the owner to keep it updated.

------------------------------
marion wagner

Original Message:
Sent: 02-08-2019 09:29 PM
From: Share CARES _
Subject: Microchip scanning at Vet's Offices for all Intakes

Most people that find a stray dog or cat take them to a veterinarian office to be scanned to find the owner, but with so many animal thefts, find and keep situations, or ignorance that this should be done to find the rightful owner, I'd like to get feedback on approaching vet's offices to just automatically scan animals when they are brought to their office.  

What if someone just found a dog and took it to get a check up or shots and the vet's office discovered that the name didn't match?  Do they consider that it might have been stolen, especially if a pure breed?  Do they call to report that a dog is in their office that might be theirs?  They might find out that they sold or gave away the dog or that it was lost and never found.  

Microchipped animals are a form of proof of ownership.  It should be taken seriously.  The rightful owner might just rush over while the animal is being treated, groomed, neutered, to claim their animals . . . and the bill.

#vetoffice
#AnimalBehavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#dogs
#microchipscanningdogs
#ownership

We just sent the following letter to our local vets as we had a few instances where a found pet was brought to a veterinarian for treatment and there was a chip discovered.  In once instance, the vet told the finder they didn't have to give the pet back because it had medical issues, and in another the vet said it had a chip but didn't follow up with the chip company.  Since most vets don't want to get involved in trying to sort out who the owner is, we suggest they let the person know there is a chip and to contact animal control ASAP.  Some vets will not treat an animal if the chip and person bringing in the animal don't match.  We sent our letter along with the letter from Cal Animals.

As a side note, a CA law just went into effect that all animals reclaimed as well as adopted from an animals shelter must now be chipped.  So there will be a lot more animals chipped!  Our shelter program automatically registers chips to a free registry (Found Animals) so no need to worry about the owners forgetting to do that.  Hope that helps.

------------------------------
tracy mohr
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-08-2019 09:29 PM
From: Share CARES _
Subject: Microchip scanning at Vet's Offices for all Intakes

Most people that find a stray dog or cat take them to a veterinarian office to be scanned to find the owner, but with so many animal thefts, find and keep situations, or ignorance that this should be done to find the rightful owner, I'd like to get feedback on approaching vet's offices to just automatically scan animals when they are brought to their office.  

What if someone just found a dog and took it to get a check up or shots and the vet's office discovered that the name didn't match?  Do they consider that it might have been stolen, especially if a pure breed?  Do they call to report that a dog is in their office that might be theirs?  They might find out that they sold or gave away the dog or that it was lost and never found.  

Microchipped animals are a form of proof of ownership.  It should be taken seriously.  The rightful owner might just rush over while the animal is being treated, groomed, neutered, to claim their animals . . . and the bill.

#vetoffice
#AnimalBehavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#dogs
#microchipscanningdogs
#ownership