Is it worth having a dog microchipped?

This is being suggested when we take the dog to the vet for spaying. Do most veterinarians and humane societies now scan lost animals that are brought to them? The cost is pretty reasonable so we will likely go ahead with the chip but I am just wondering. (I am getting an ID tag to put on her collar too. )

I dont think its worth it..my sister in law had her dog mircochipped and then it went missing..she called the company to see if maybe they could track the dog or something but nope..the only way you'll get your dog back is if they are picked up by animal control or if a honest person finds your dog and takes it in.

I would do it. If your dog loses it's collar they will still be able to track you down if your dog gets lost. Just make sure you keep the info updated ( if you move).

Yes, I highly reccomend microchiping, if you don't, the day will come when you lose your dog and you'll regret not doing it. even if your dog never runs away, it's still there just in case.

Actually - yes most places DO scan the animals to see if they are missing from their owner. Scanning, as you stated, is a reasonable cost and the piece of mind, knowing that most missing or stray animals get picked up and taken to a humane society or somthing of the sort - they scan the animals, is the quickest and easiest way to find your lost loved one.

i believe it is a great idea to chip them. most shelters and pounds scan them and sad but true people do steal dogs and it's a great way to prove that he is indeed yours

It wasn't worth it to me. I'm pretty responsible and I've trained my dogs not to leave the property without me. The only scenario where I'd be without them is if they were stolen. And in that case a microchip wouldn't help.

It is defenately worth it. It also depends on what registry you are with. Yes, most vets and shelters do scan dogs that come in. I would absolutely have it done.

You decide. On one of my recent trips to the vet with my dog the office got a phone call. Someone had found a dog and wanted to know if the vets office could check for a microchip. They did, there was one and they found the owner. It all took about an hour.

Yes it is a lady had her dog microchiped but didn't bother to activate microchip ( with her info on it)her dog ran away a humane society picked it up she was scanning petfinder and saw her dog listed she whent to pick him up but it was too late he had been missing for over a month and was put downthey told her if he was properly microchiped with info/ they could have gotten back 2 her.........i have 1 of mien micochiped an dthe others are getting theres soon

Absolutely. Almost all shelters now scan stray animals for microchips, and chips have helped many lost animals return home. The Today Show recently had a story about a dog that got loose during a hurricane in Florida. It was returned after a year because someone found the dog in Illinois and had it checked for a chip. You better believe that family felt it was worth the $20. It's not foolproof, but it's another way to help get your pet home safely.

If you love your animals why would you NOT have them chipped? The cost should be very minimal and the peace of mind is great. Has anyone heard lately that you can now have your children micro-chipped??

I highly recommend it, but....the responsibility lies with the owner. You must register your current contact information with the company.I've rescued several dogs without collars, or with the chip tag on their collar, but when I've called the company the owner never registerd the chip...or they still have information from the previous owner.All the training in the world isn't going to completely prevent a dog from getting away if they are distracted or inadvertently turned loose, but you have a far better chance of recovering them if they have the added security of a microchip.All my animals including my indoor only cats are microchipped.

Even though I know it sounds like a good idea, I know people who has hadit done but never got their dog back.The best is to secure the dog at all times. Leash, check the back and front yard for open areas, and make sure a tag is on the dog for IDreasons.

I dont know where you live but here where I live, microchipping is pointless because none of the municipally run dog pounds have the equipment to scan for them... whats the point of having a microchip if nobody has the ability to make use of it?? Things may be different where you live, but around here its just a money grab on the vets behalf.

I think it is worth it.

Absolutely. A dog can easily slip out of it's collar if it gets lost. If it's picked up by animal control without tags it generally does not need to be held for more than 48-72 hours (varies by state) before being euthanized. Microchipping will provide a permanent form of ID and allows the animal to be tracked country-wide (beneficial to those living near state borders) It is MUCH easier to track down an owner of a dog that is microchipped. Definitely worth the small price.*On a side note - after reading some of the responses, some people seem to think it is some sort of GPS tracker. That it is not. It is simply a permanent form of ID embedded in the fatty tissue in the animals lower neck. Most vets, shelters, and animal control facilities have the scanners to scan animals, should yours get loose and turn up at one of these places. If it doesn't however, there is no way to track the animal through the chip alone. In addition, if you don't bother to activate or register the chip, it's useless to get it implanted.

yes very much so, one family had a puppy it ran away and hey got it back................... 6YEARS LATER!! someone found i t on the road and took it to the vet they read its micro chip and it got to go home safe andsound

You never know who's gonna find your dog someday. What harm does it do anyway? - ok, besides getting a little poorer. If I were you, I'd still keep the tag on anyway. The first person who picks up your dog wont be the one with the microchip scanner, right? Better to have 2 things to fall back on than just one.

Yes it is worth it