Keep safety top of mind for pet owners by sharing this graphic. In addition, see the news release below for helpful information on reuniting lost animals with their owners, thanks to microchips. An impactful, bite-size fact: lost dogs that are microchipped have a 238 percent better chance of being reunited with their owner over dogs that are not microchipped. Microchipped cats have a 2,000 percent better chance!

Each year Yavapai Humane Society experiences an influx of lost animals in the days following the 4th of July. The animal shelter urges pet owners to practice firework safety and get them microchipped.

Pets can show unpredictable behavior when frightened by fireworks. The natural instinct for a scared animal is to run. This results in many pets becoming lost over Independence Day festivities. Should the worst happen and a pet escapes, having proper identification makes it much easier to reunite the lost animal with its owner. 

A microchip is a radio-frequency identification implant about the size of a grain of rice that provides permanent ID for a pet. When a handheld microchip scanner is passed over the pet, it transmits the microchip’s ID number by which a shelter, veterinarian, or animal control officer can locate the owner’s contact information. It is vital for pet owner’s to keep their contact information up to date with the microchip company.

While all pets should wear collar tags, only a microchip provides permanent ID that cannot fall off, be removed, or become impossible to read. The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association published a study showing that the return-to-owner rate for microchipped dogs is increased by 238 percent over dogs that are not microchipped. For cats, the chances are even better. They have a 2,000 percent increased-chance of being returned to their owners over cats that are not microchipped.