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They're your four-legged family members.
They're literally like your children.
You couldn't dream of living without them.
That's why you need to do everything, everything, you can to protect them.
Thanks to technology there are powerful tools to help us do just that.
For our kids, for example, it's called an Amber Alert.
For our pets, it's called a microchip.
And here with some vital important information on microchips for all your pet parents out
there is Veterinarian Christine Royal.
Good morning, Doctor.
How are you?
Good morning.
Very good.
You know, I think it can happen to anyone.
We have a little Ruby, and one day, you know, we didn't find her.
It was 30 seconds of panic.
She was down a few doors from the home.
It happens.
It's easy.
And pet owners don't always realize that it only takes a couple of seconds for a pet out
an open door, or for the kids to be playing in the backyard and the gate comes open, or
to have a service man over to the house and they forget to put the lock on the gate.
And how many, I don't know if you have this number, do go missing?
It's one out of every three pets will become lost at some point in their lifetime.
And how many are actually found?
Greater than 90% of pets that do not have a microchip will never be reunited with their
family.
And that microchip has the information needed?
It is a, basically, a forever bond or a permanent link from that pet to that pet family.
The big key is that once the microchip is implanted, the pet owner needs to go home
and register that microchip in the database.
Let's talk more about how it's done.
Ruby is not, she does not have a microchip.
I'm going to tell you right now because the first instinct I get is, "Oh my gosh, is it
going to hurt her?
Is it difficult?"
So, you tell me it's simple.
Show me.
I hope that maybe after this…
After this, I'm going to put one in Ruby.
Absolutely.
Have you taken Ruby to go get vaccinations at the veterinary clinic before?
All the time.
Okay.
So, it's very simple, very similar to what you would do with a vaccine except this is
actually placed in between the shoulder blades.
It doesn't require any sedation, any anesthesia.
It's not a procedure.
What your veterinarian will do, we'll just lift the skin in between the shoulder blades,
implant the chip.
It takes a matter of seconds.
And then the veterinarian will give you, as a pet owner, this card.
This card is going to have to microchip number of what is in your animal.
And then on the back is directions for registration of the microchip.
Which would be your information, phone number, things that someone needs to know to get in
touch with you.
It's going to have your address, your email address, your phone number.
And the key here is that you want to make sure that information stays up to date all
the time.
So, if you happen to move or your contact information changes, then you need to go into
the database and make sure it's up to date.
And I wanted to show our viewers, and I'm going to by using my nail, look how tiny this
is.
I mean, I was expecting a little bit more.
Explain this to me.
So, the microchip is about the size of a grain of rice.
And that's why whenever it comes to implanting the microchip, it's so easy.
It only takes a couple of seconds.
So, Doctor, if a pet goes missing, let's say and God forbid, but if it does and somebody
finds the pet.
Then what?
They should take the pet to the closest animal control area, shelter, or veterinary clinic.
One of the staff members will simply scan the animal.
A 15 digit code will come up.
They can tell go to HomeAgain.com, enter in the chip number.
They can then contact the pet owner, and through that number you're able to reunite the pet
with the pet family.
It's so easy.
It is.
And to date, we've had over 1 million reunions.
Wow.
Now, again, I told you Ruby's not microchipped…I just made it a verb.
Is she too old?
No, animals are never too young or too old to be microchipped.
So a puppy, even an elder dog that's maybe even 10?
Absolutely.
Do you have a website for our viewers who'd like more information?
It's HomeAgain.com.
HomeAgain.com.
Thank you so much.
I am going to put one on Ruby.
I do appreciate it because it really does make the difference.
Thank you, Doctor.
Thank you.
And if you'd like more information, again, it is HomeAgain.com or just go to our website,
TheBalancingAct.com.
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