Collaboration of the Santa Cruz SPCA and Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter
Santa Cruz County recently joined a growing number of communities who now require pets to be microchipped. This collaborative event is designed to bring more lost animals home and to aid the public in compliance with this new ordinance.
Participants may bring their dogs to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter location, 2200 7th Avenue, during event hours where experienced handlers from both shelters will complete the simple procedure. Staff will take care of the registration process, explain microchip basics and answer any questions the public may have. There are no requirements for this day of free service, everyone is welcome.
The microchips used for this event have been donated to the Santa Cruz SPCA by 24Petwatch Pet Protection Services and include a tag and lifetime registration.
Millions of cats and dogs end up at animal shelters around the US each year, a large percentage of these animals enter the shelters as strays that go unclaimed. Microchipping is a safe, easy and effective way to quickly reunite lost pets with their owners and provides proof of ownership if a pet is ever stolen. Collars and tags can fall off or be removed, but microchips are forever and can many times be a fast ticket home if your animal ever ends up in a shelter. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, dogs are 2.5 times more likely to be returned to their home from a shelter if they have a registered microchip.
The microchip itself is a tiny implant, typically about the size of a grain of rice, inserted under the skin and implanted in a very similar way to administering a vaccine. The microchip information is linked to a central database that holds all the details of the pet and the owner. Should the animal become lost or separated from its owner, a microchip scanner can be used to identify the animal and the owner.
While this event is offered for dogs only, a low-cost microchip program is currently available for cats through the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. For more information, please visit www.scanimalshelter.org.
Free Canine Microchipping Clinic Saturday, April 12 from 9 a.m.-Noon Santa Cruz Animal Shelter, 2200 7th Avenue
Santa Cruz SPCA 2685 Chanticleer Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95065, 831-465-5000 spcasc.org
Santa Cruz Animal Shelter 2200 7th Avenue Santa Cruz, CA 95060, 831-454-7200 scanimalshelter.org