Micro-Chipping your Pet...What's it really for?

For several week's this subject has been Gnawing at me and last night one of my Twitter patrons posted a news article related to the importance of Micro chipping a pet! By now most people know "What" micro chipping does, but: do we really know the importance of it?

Most people think micro chipping is rapidly becoming more advantageous for the "Individual" pet owner, But it is Rapidly becoming a way for law enforcement to track Dangerous dogs . In the event that they should do harm to anyone or anyones pet or property, the owner can be tracked down and prosecuted!
If no damage is done by the pet, the owner can be tracked down and fined by local and civil authorities for not maintaining the pet in a proper enclosure! Most Dangerous dogs are now being registered with this technology within the city's in which they reside and owners are scrutinized for there ability to maintain such an animal in a safe environment!
Many shelters simply eliminate the animals and do not allow them to be adopted at all!
In England and other places around Europe this is becoming more and more prevalent as Laws have been created to eradicate the dangerous species from existence. As long as a pet does not escape or cause harm to anyone, it may be possible to keep the animal for the duration of it's life. Should the animal escape under new Animal control Laws the animal is usually killed within a matter of days and evidence through photo's is gathered and preserved for the prosecution process to follow! Veterinarians are actually going so far as to track the DNA of specific breeds for Categorizing and notifying Town's and Cities of the potential threat's!!!
Breed Specific Legislation (Dangerous Dogs Act 1991)

The Bottom line here is to insure the security of the animal and prevent escape from a well designed enclosure! Here in my city of Fort Worth, Texas a stringent Height requirement is spelled out for anyone owning  specific Breeds in order to keep them from climbing. It is well to note here that height does not prevent many dogs from climbing a chain link fence. If a dog can get his paws in the links he can climb it!
At my home we have an escape artist and he simply pushes gates to test them for resistance because the children entering and exiting don't always slam them hard enough to latch.

Digging is another, and probably the most popular way for dogs to escape although most large dogs would require some time at the task to create a hole large enough to escape! If a pet is left out all night unattended, he has sufficient time to dig out especially if a rodent is taunting them from the other side.

What I am trying to point out here is not the importance of Chipping a pet, but rater the "ounce of prevention"  in the need for tracking down the owner's of a pet, because the Children left the gate open, or the neighbors cat coaxed your pet to take an afternoon jog, or heaven forbid, someone stole the pet! Pet theft is on the rise as the economy worst en's. Thieves are looking for sign's posting Reward's! A small dog is more inclined to be posted in the paper for a reward than any other pet.
 Many thieve's realized this lucrative scam after originally stealing pets for Dog fighting endeavor's and them finding the posting's for reward's!
Keeping your pet in constant site out in the yard is an impossibility, and keeping them indoors is usually only reserved for those that Live in apartment's and can only take a pet out for a controlled walk!

Word's to remember...A Dog does not have to be aggressive or commit an aggressive act ! The reporting by an person unfamiliar with dog's is all it takes. Showing its teeth while being captured and detained when cornered is evidence enough for a loving pet to be trapped by local animal control and killed, if not claimed or recovered in a quick and responsible manner!Don't forget in your haste to recover the pet to take any and all documentation including home photo's with you to the holding shelter! This can speed up recovery time and reduce argument's of ownership. Tag your dogs collar and note on both sides of the tags that the animal is chipped and provide a number for the local veterinarian!
Keep those pets safe out here and leave your comments and questions and idea's behind in the comment box. Thanks for visiting Pampered Pets and Pals! Have a Safe Weekend! Stevan G.
Micro-chip technology

A lawyer's guide to dangerous dog issues

 By Joan Schaffner
Watch this News report as a pet owner Battles a local shelter!