(805) 963-0577

Facebook St. Francis Pet Clinic  Google Plus St Francis Pet Clinic  Instagram St Francis Pet Clinic


Positive Identification is the only way to ensure that you are reunited with your pet if they become lost or stolen. A secure collar with tags indicating your home address and/or phone number is a good start. The problem is that collars come off. A thief would simply remove one and cat collars are designed to “break away” in case the collar gets hung on a fence or tree limb. Fortunately, there has been technology developed that addresses this concern. A tiny chip contained in surgical glass can be implanted beneath the skin and scanned at any time to provide a unique identification number. Veterinarians, shelters, and animal control departments have hand-held scanners to check lost pets for microchips.

The microchip is not powered and never wears out. It is about the size of a grain of rice and contains electronics that contain the unique identification code. No personal information is held on the chip, and they cannot be reprogrammed. The code on the chip is registered with the manufacture’s recovery database along with the pet owner’s emergency contact information. They cannot be located on a GPS or other tracking device. The scanner activates the chip when it is held in close proximity to the pet. There is no problem with taking a microchipped pet on an airplane, and some countries even require a microchip as part of the disease quarantine process.

Implanting a chip can be performed without anesthesia. The procedure is relatively painless. A modified syringe and a large bore needle are used to place the glass tube beneath the skin, usually between the shoulder blades. Some pet owners will opt to have this procedure done at the time of spaying and neutering.


Our staff will provide you with the appropriate information to register your pet’s microchip. Please remember to always update your address or phone number with the appropriate microchip company to ensure your pet is returned to you quickly!

Register Your Pet's Microchip
Now at Pet Link