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Health & Fitness

Have You Microchipped Your Pet? If Not, Why?

A microchip and nail trim clinic is planned for Saturday, Feb, 11, 1 to 3 p.m., at Chuck and Don's Pet Food Outlet, Dundas. All proceeds benefit the Prairie's Edge Humane Society.

Every day, there are animals brought to the Prairie’s Edge Humane Society who have been found wandering the streets or the countryside who very obviously had been someone’s pet and somehow found themselves lost and scared. We scan every animal to check for a microchip in hopes that this animal’s owner had taken the time and spent the small amount of money to insure that their pet would have a better chance of being reunited with them in the event it ever became lost. Too many times, we are disappointed as we still find numerous animals without a microchip. 

All of my own animals are microchipped. I have two dogs and a cat and I had only microchipped my dogs, thinking that my cat is old and not allowed outside so why have her microchipped? Then, I began working at the PEHS shelter and saw firsthand the many cats who arrive at the shelter lost, hungry, scared and sometimes injured, and the many cat owners who come to the shelter looking for their cat who “accidently snuck out the door," they had moved to a new home and the cat got loose, or there was some disaster or other crisis that caused the cat to get loose and end up outdoors. A large number of them are never reunited. You may have a house fire or weather related damage to your home and your indoor kitty may suddenly find itself outdoors, scared and lost. My cat is also deaf. She would never hear her name being called by anyone searching for her. A microchip may be the only way she would ever be reunited with me. My sweet, beloved Lucy, an indoor cat, is now microchipped.

Microchips have proven over and over to be the best way to reunite a lost pet with its owner. There are many stories of animals that have been reunited with a heartbroken owner even years later, thanks to a microchip. Prairie’s Edge Humane Society, just recently reunited a cat that had been missing for over a year with its owner thanks to a microchip. Somehow this cat had traveled approximately 10 miles, was found by an area farmer, turned into the shelter, was scanned for a microchip and reunited with its owner. Its owner told us that the cat had been lost over a year ago. Every animal adopted from Prairie's Edge Humane Society is microchipped prior to it leaving the shelter. We feel so stongly that a microchip will help keep these animals from ever being in a shelter situation again, that we are one of the few shelters around who microchip every adopted animal. Won’t you give your pet the opportunity to return home simply by inserting a microchip? It’s safe, simple and takes only minutes to insert. It is no more invasive than a vaccination. All shelters and veterinary clinics are able to scan an animal for a microchip, the scanners are universal so all microchips can be read regardless of the microchip company. Prairie’s Edge Humane Society offers 24Pet Watch microchips and during our “Chip N Clip” clinics you can microchip your pet for only $20. You will not find a better price on the initial insertion of the microchip. Once inserted, we take care of the registration of your pet.  There is an annual fee of $14.95 which will be charged to you after one year or you may opt for the lifetime plan of $39.95. Being able to reunite with your lost pet is priceless.  24Pet Watch will send you a notification of the annual fee when it is due.

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If you have not microchipped your pet, here is your opportunity to do so! Prairie’s Edge Humane Society will be holding our first “Chip N Clip” event of the year on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Chuck and Don’s Pet Food Outlet in Dundas. Don’t miss this great opportunity to have your pet microchipped for only $20 by Prairie’s Edge Humane Society. No appointment necessary, just show up!  (We do ask that all animals be leashed or crated.)  Once your pet is microchipped, how about a nail trim? Cyndi Jones from Canine Design will be offering nail trims for only $5, with all proceeds going to Prairie’s Edge Humane Society. If your pet is already microchipped, then bring them out for just a nail trim. You can also stop by and visit with volunteers from the Prairie’s Edge Humane Society and find out how you can help the homeless animals by volunteering at the shelter or at events yourself.  There will also be membership information available and representatives available to accept donations for the PEHS shelter. Don’t miss out! Don’t let your pet go any longer without a microchip! Give your beloved pet the best gift you can give them and prevent yourself from enduring the heartache of a lost pet. 

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