When Louie the Groodle made his great escape today, I suspected that his microchip would be the one thing that would ensure he got home safely.
All dogs in Victoria must be microchipped before registration with the local council. This is why most dogs are microchipped before they are handed over to their new owners. A microchip is a permanent method of electronic identification. The chip itself is tiny – about the size of a grain of rice – and is implanted just under the skin, between the shoulder blades on the back of your pet. Each chip has a unique number that is detected using a microchip scanner. The microchip number is recorded on a database registry with details about the animal and owner.
Tragically, thousands of impounded dogs are euthanised each year because they can't be identified and returned to their owners. Compulsory microchipping benefits animal welfare by helping prevent the needless destruction of so many animals.
When Louie took a run for it when the door was left open, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I got a call from the local dog catcher to tell me that someone had found Louie. Louie's microchip was the one thing that reunited us with him, as he had no other identification on him.