Besides microchips, the animal group also advises owners to place identification tags on pets so neighbours or other residents who run into the pet first can easily contact the owner. — Photo by Keenan Barber on Unsplash
A long-haired cat named Remi disappeared over a year ago in Idaho. Then it made a “heartwarming reunion” with its owner.
The cat recently showed up at the Idaho Humane Society after it was missing, the group said in a Wednesday, April 26, Facebook post.
Remi was brought to the animal shelter in “rough shape” and with “severely matted fur,” the group said.
Workers scanned the pet for a microchip and found the owner’s contact information.
His owner was “overjoyed” to hear the news and picked up their cat from the shelter after more than a year apart.
“This reunion is a powerful reminder of the crucial role that microchips play in reuniting lost pets with their families,” the animal shelter said in the Facebook post.
The group advised pet owners to microchip their animals and to keep contact information up to date.
What are microchips?
Microchips are “tiny transponders” that are implanted under a pet’s skin by veterinarians or animal shelters for identification in case the animal becomes lost, according to The Humane Society of the United States.
They are about the size of a grain of rice, and anesthesia isn’t required during implantation.
A scanner is used by animal control or an animal shelter to read the microchip, which will pull up a registration number and a phone number for the chip. Then the owner’s name and contact information can be found from there, the agency said.
Microchips last about 25 years.
But pet owners shouldn’t rely only on microchips for lost pets, the group said.
The animal group advises owners to place identification tags on pets so neighbours or other residents who run into the pet first can easily contact the owner. – The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service
