[Dailydrool] Microchips & Scanners in California

[Basset911 at aol.com]

Hi Jessica - 
 
Microchipping is something that's now law in Los Angeles (and most areas of  
California) so thought I'd share what we know about microchips - maybe an ABC 
of  past history with Microchips.... depending on which type of chip you have 
this  may reassure you - or not.  Education on chips is key however, so I'll  
share...
 
For many years there were varying chips, Home Again, Avid, EZ Pet,  Lambriar, 
AKC as well as several others.  The problem in those days was  this; Avid 
made a universal scanner but the chip was more expensive for the vets  to buy so 
they bought and implanted Home Again.  Home Again's scanner was  not universal 
and only reads Home Again chips.  However; Avids scanner  reads ALL chips.
Approx. 3 years ago a new chip came into play thru Banfield Vets  which was 
on a UK frequency and NO scanners could read them with the exception  of a UK 
scanner - which no one had.  
A big to do was had during which time the AKC and Home Again chip services  
merged and in the merge accidentally dumped their database, thus any chips  
registered during that time frame became obsolete with the exception of being  
able to track the implanter (Original purchaser), who in most cases maintains  
their own database - or is supposed to.
Lambriar chips were not transferable and could only be tracked to the  
puppymiller and broker who had sold the canine, but not to the new owner, unless  
one was lucky enough to find out what pet store the pup was sold to,  that  pet 
store was still in business, and had traceable records, and the purchaser  had 
never moved etc.
 
Cut to today.
Most vets and all shelters now have universal scanners, smaller vets  may not 
have paid the $80.00 to upgrade their scanner but every vet we deal with  
have universal scanners in house, as do animal control and most rescue  groups.
Home Again now forces owners to register yearly (it is my opinion that they  
are still having database problems and don't want to acknowledge it openly...  
Meow.).
Avid now accepts registry of ALL chips (including Lambriar) and tracks  them 
(with a fairly decent type of accuracy - their data entry is slow, but it  
seems to be getting better finally).
 
So, I think maybe who ever scanned your furkid and had a hard time,  might 
not do a lot of scanning, or was using an old scanner - I can tell you if  a 
battery is low in a scanner it will miss a chip so its important to keep fresh  
batteries handy at all times.
 
When an animal shelter finds a canine here, they scan in and out.
If a chip is not found at intake, its found at exit or prior to  euthanasia - 
when a chip is found, the registry is called.
If they have no info they ask who the implanter is, and then call the  
implanter.  The implanter gives their database information and a  certified letter 
has to be sent to the owner of record, giving the hounds a  "stay of execution" 
for at least 10 days (depends on the shelter, the area,  etc). 
 
The moral to the story is this:
Make sure you KNOW your hounds microchip number.
Make sure whomever the implanter was has their database current, and is  
still in business.
Make sure your data stays current with the registry company.
Make sure your local shelter has a universal scanner (Most shelters get  them 
donated by the manufacturers -If they don't - maybe donate one!), and  maybe 
donate batteries to them every now and then <g>.
 
Here in rescue we are very PRO microchips.  They are not  infallible.  But 
they ARE saving hundreds of lives every single  day.  Most of us would not leave 
home without a scanner.
 
Dawn of the West
Microchipping and then some....
Daphneyland
_www.barniatdaphneyland.org_ (http://www.barniatdaphneyland.org) 
 
 
 



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