I don’t normally post my opinions on message boards other than my blog but, this morning there was a discussion online through LinkedIn in the Professional Pet Industry group where I am a member. Someone had made a comment about the importance of microchipping so, I decided to chime in too about how important it is to have all dogs and cats microchipped. I feel so strongly about it that I think it should be required and each time a dog goes to the vet, the vet should scan the animal to verify that all the info is updated and accurate. I can’t tell you how many dogs I have picked up just lost and wondering the streets of the Bay Area with no collar/ID that I have returned to Animal Control. I actually have all the phone numbers in my cell phone for each Animal Control agency throughout all the counties I service. I have the vets numbers too in my IPhone. This was vital to todays events!

Back to today. As I pulled up to my last client for the day there was a delivery truck bringing something into the front entrance. All the gates and doors were open. I knew someone was home so, I assumed all was safe and sound. Not so. One of the dogs slipped out during the delivery and all hell broke loose. The owner was not home just the housekeeper. So, she and I got into our cars and drove hoping to find him. After 15 minutes with no success, I called Animal Control (I had the number in my cell phone) hoping that if someone had found him they would deliver him there. By the grace of God, someone had found him and delivered him to the local vet office near my client. So, I called that vet (I had that number too in my IPhone) and asked if the dog was OK and they said he was fine. I started to cry. I was so relieved. This is San Francisco with lots of cars and I was so scared that maybe he had been injured.

I called the housekeeper on her cell phone (I had her number in my IPhone too) and told her to meet me at the vet’s office and that the dog was fine! This dog had been a patient at one point so, they had a file for him and they recognized the housekeeper. It all ended safe and sound.

The dog though did NOT have a microchip! If the dog had had a microchip with all current registration info, phone calls could have been made immediately to the owner (who was at work) to notify her that the dog was safe and sound. I was so grateful that a stranger had the good sense to bring him to a local vet and that I had all the phone numbers of all the vital people in this story in my cell phone so his return was swift and safe!!

What I find so amazing is that just this morning I made a comment about the importance of microchipping and by 3PM this afternoon I was actually experiencing the importance of my words. Very Weird!