Importance of Having Your Dog Chipped If Traveling With Your Dog
When your dog is your best buddy, you naturally want them to be with you on road trips, vacations, and any other form of travel. Unfortunately, bringing your dog along does mean putting them at risk of illness, frustration, boredom, or even getting lost. The latter could be an especially dangerous situation since both of you are unfamiliar with the surroundings. Plus, you can’t be there to help them in case of an emergency.
If you do want to bring your canine family member on your travels, then, you’d have to take certain steps in order to make sure they don’t get lost. There are several ways to go about this, such as making sure they’re on a leash or by using electric dog fences. However, one of the most effective and tested means is to chip your pet. This gives them a layer of protection that ensures they’ll never be lost. Below are just a few reasons why you should consider this step:
SCANNING
If a dog gets lost, especially one who’s used to being safe at home, they’re also likely to get scared more than usual. The result could be their rushing around frantically and even being a threat to anyone who encounters them. In this disturbance, any ID tags they have could fall off.
With a chip, however, any shelter can easily scan and identify your dog. They can get information on its owners, such as the name, address, number, and any special aspect they need to watch out for. For instance, your dog might have a specific allergy, so the shelter could take steps to keep them away from any triggers.
PREVENTION AGAINST STEALING
The dark reality is that many criminals look upon certain breeds of dogs as being inherently precious. If not that, they may very well try to kidnap your dog for ransom. Dog thieves or dog kidnappers might remove a collar or ID tag immediately, but they probably wouldn’t know about a microchip. The removal of a chip usually requires veterinarian services, which the thieves may not have access to.
While the chip doesn’t really help in locating the dog or setting off an alarm to help them escape, they do provide a valuable service. If the dog does manage to escape, you can prove your ownership and get your pet back as soon as possible. It’s quite common that people get their dogs snatched when they’re on vacation, but have trouble getting them back because of a lack of proof of ownership. The chip would give the authorities in any area slid proof that you are, indeed, the dog’s owner.
AFFORDABLE
You might shy away from microchipping your dog because of the perceived costs. However, most services like these only cost around $15 to $20. This is not much of a financial sacrifice, especially as it allows you peace of mind when taking your dog traveling.
In order to gauge the complete cost of chipping your dog, talk to your regular vet and see what’s on offer. Some health insurance policies may even cover such costs if you’re lucky. There might even be some mobile clinics around that would provide chip services at a discount. Plus, it doesn’t take much time to perform this procedure. All it requires is the chip places between the shoulder blades, underneath the skin. You and your pet can be inside and out that same day!
CONCLUSION
Chipping your dog is quite a useful practice, especially when you’re on the go. If you’re a backpacker or just want to drive out and have the company of your dog, this is definitely the best way to keep them safe. Many people don’t like the idea of leaving their dogs behind when they go away. Another family or a kennel may be emotionally disturbing for the dog, so chip them and take them along!
Even if you’re not traveling, chipping your dog could provide several benefits. You can install a dog door that allows entrance based on the chip, or keep your friend safe from kidnappers and thieves all year round. Whichever the case, microchipping is something you should consider sooner or later.