New pet registry promotes microchip implants

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – The SPCA is promoting a new province-wide pet identification registry where animals with microchip implants can have their information stored in a centralized database.

"We’ve created a first for British Columbia — a centralized database for pets who receive permanent identification at any B.C. SPCA shelter, veterinarian or microchip clinic across the province,” says Craig Daniell, chief executive officer of the B.C. SPCA, in a media release. “No one plans to lose a pet, but it happens every day in B.C. — doors and windows are left open, or fence gates aren’t properly latched — there are so many ways pets can accidentally go missing, even if they’re indoor pets.”

Daneill says the hope is the new service will make it easier for shelters, animal control officers and veterinarians to reunite stray pets with their owners but also encourage the owners to have the microchip implanted.

“In the past, shelters and veterinarians had to call multiple registries to try to find contact information if a pet was found,” he says. "By creating a single registry and promoting microchip ID as an essential part of pet guardianship, we believe we can dramatically increase the number of lost pets who are reunited with their families every year.”

According to Daniell, 72 per cent of dogs and 14 per cent of cats who made it to a B.C.SPCA shelter last year were reunited with their pets.

People whose pets already have the microchip implanted can go online and create an account.

To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.