Halls decked, dreidels spinning, and noise poppers waiting release, the season for revelry is primed. But, the sights and sounds of the holidays, especially larger gatherings, may spook four-legged family through an open window or door.
They may run for blocks, perhaps miles. Younger pets of nimble mind and body may find their way home. Older pets may lose their compass and spin, disoriented.
Eight-year-old Sophie isn’t crazy about Uncle Charlie. He talks loud and flails his arms when he talks. Tonight, he windmills into a table, sending a glass crashing to the floor. Shards scatter. Sophie bolts through the front door held open by a sudden surge of guests.
She’s not in the yard. Oh, God! Where could she have gone? Thank goodness she’s wearing her collar, plainly etched with her name and contact numbers. Wait! You gave her a bath this morning, so she’d mingle cleanly with company — and forgot to replace her collar. At least there’s a backup: her microchip.
You hop in the car and scour the neighborhood, calling to her as you file past the houses silhouetted in twilight. No answer. Two miles distant, Sophie cowers under a bush. This will her first night outside — and alone.
The next day following a sleepless night is filled by tacking fliers blazed with Sophie’s likeness to power poles across your neighborhood. Your family works shifts, calling every shelter and veterinary clinic in the city. Someone had to have found Sophie, taken her to a shelter or vet and had her scanned.
Someone did. The address and phone number in Sophie’s microchip turned up an elderly couple in Houston, the city you moved from so you could be closer to extended family. You changed everything over when you moved last year; everything except Sophie’s microchip.
Weeks later, Sophie stares through a kennel grate. The shelter to which she was brought has no choice but to put her up for adoption. Hopefully, someone will. Either way, Sophie will never know what happened to her family.
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To those of us who have pets: please get them microchipped. Usually implanted in the scruff of the neck, the chip contains a unique numeric ID and owner contact information.
As with any personal identification, address and phone number(s) MUST be updated when we move. Animals depend on us to complete this simple task which takes only a few minutes via a phone call or online with the provider.
Our provider is Home Again (888) 466-3242 (www.homeagain.com). Click her for a list of alternative providers.
Remember that a microchip is NOT a GPS system. Such technology exists, but is wholly separate from the microchip.
Enjoy the holidays more by respecting your pet’s temperament. Keep animals especially prone to startle away from rambunctious crowds, perhaps in the company of a trusted friend.
Found is better than lost; reunited is best.