• 08
  • February
    2012

On Saturday morning, February 4th, burglars broke into a Copperfield home, located in the 8400 block of East Copper Village Drive; where they stole not only some electronic equipment, but something far more valuable to the family that lived there: their beloved Boxer, Charlie. The family was reported terrified that Charlie was stolen to be made into a fighting dog. There were no witnesses, and police had few clues. But, on Monday, February 8th, the family's prayers were answered. Charlie was returned unharmed. Apparently, the burglars either released or dumped Charlie, who made his way to a woman's back yard. Recognizing that he was a pure-bred dog, she called a area vet. There, an alert tech checked Charlie for an identification chip. He had one; so a call to the chip registry revealed the name of his owners, who were jubilant to recover him.

The theft of a dog to be turned into a fighter is every dog owner's worst nightmare. This story had a happy ending only because of that chip. So, it's important for every pet owner to have one implanted in any pet that is loved and cared about. And, honestly, what pet isn't? A brief review of the technology involved will demonstrate why it is a good idea and an invaluable safeguard.

A pet microchip is both simple and safe. It works on very basic science. About the size of a grain of rice, the chip is implanted just under the pet's skin with a simple, painless device. The chip has tiny components encased in a capsule of bio-glass. It's about like getting a big injection. It takes but a moment, and requires no local anesthesia. Most pet implants cost about $75; then the owner pays a small monthly or annual registry fee. That's little pain, expense or inconvenience for such a large increment of peace of mind. Some chips have anti-migration features, meaning that the capsule bonds to surrounding tissue, to stay in place.

The chip's single feature is to store a unique ID number. Despite misconceptions, the device does not function like a GPS, which requires a power source to operate. It has no active electronics; so it cannot be actively tracked. Rather, the chip is designed to activate under a specific radio frequency, when placed under a scanner. These are common features of most modern animal hospitals, shelters, and veterinary clinics. Some 70,000 are currently in use, with more coming on line every year. When an animal arrives at the clinic, a technician passes the scanner over the animal's skin. The scanner activates the chip, which emits a passive radio frequency (RF) signal. If such a signal is detected, the scanner reads out the ID number. That is called in to the registry and the name and location of the owner can be instantly obtained. So, if you love your best friend and want to keep him safe forever, go get him "chipped" today!

Continue reading: http://www.khou.com/news/local/Priceless-pooch-stolen-during-Copperfield-home-burglary-138811189.html

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