With one in three pets lost in their lifetime and 90% never make it home. Having your pet microchipped is one of the most important things you can do. At Kennebunk Veterinary Hospital, we believe microchips save lives and reunite families. We encourage all our clients to chip their pets and register them--and we do all we can to make that as inexpensive and easy as possible! We think it is important and hope you will too.
HomeAgain Microchips
- Do not hurt your pet
- Do not require surgery
- Do not wear out
Who Needs One? Any Pet You Want to be in the 10%
There's no way to predict whether your pet will get lost. The local humane society is full of pets just like yours. It's not something that just happens to certain types of pets or less attentive owners.
In our area, we see sporadic increases in dog abductions. Thunderstorms, fireworks, particularly exciting prey going by... can all cause good pets to run beyond their normal territory, making it hard to find their way back. Disasters and emergencies make it easy for pets to get lost in the turmoil.
In the US, 90% of lost pets won't return home without proper identification. Collars and tags are helpful, but they can fall or be taken off. Microchips are permanent. We all want our pets to be in the 10% that make it home. A microchip can help make that a reality.
Want to Know More?
We trust HomeAgain and think you'll appreciate their service and commitment to your pet. Below are some helpful links:
- Hear stories of Happy Reunions
- More Facts on Microchipping
- What happens at the Vets?
- How do they get my pet home?
Once you register your pet's microchip with HomeAgain, they will keep your information on file so you can be notified if your pet is found. You do not need to renew your membership each year. But you may want to when you see the added benefits of annual membership:
- National lost pet recovery network
- 24/7 Lost Pet Specialists
- 24/7 Access to Emergency Medical Hotline (with poison control included)
- Rapid Lost Pet Alerts
- Personalized Lost Pet Posters, and
- Travel Assistance for Lost Pets (including flying your pet home)
One call to poison control alone would cost more than the yearly membership fee. We should note that KVH doesn't benefit from annual memberships. We just think these are substantial benefits that many of our clients could use and most people don't know about.
How Much does it Cost?
The cost of the chip and insertion at KVH is $47. HomeAgain charges $17.99 for the initial registration. That is a total of $64.99. If you want the additional benefits to continue beyond your first year, they will bill you for the registration annually.
What Now?
Let us know that you're interested, have questions, or aren't sure what the status of an existing microchip is and we'll help. You can call us directly, mention it at a visit, or fill out this quick form and let us know what you need.
Pet Already Chipped?
Great! You're almost done.
About half the people who chip their pets have never register with the service. This makes the chip useless, because the service has no info to contact you when your pet is found. So please double check that your pet's chip is registered and your contact info is up to date. We've tried to make it easy. Just click on the tag on the left and it will take you to a look up tool. Put in your pet's chip number and it will tell you if the chip is registered and with which service. If you find you're not registered, let us know and we can do it for you. All we'll need is payment for the cost of registration.
Want to Take Fido on a World Tour?
With older chips, it was a little like trying to use your cell phone in Romania. The technologies just didn't work together. Recently, they started making chips universal so that the pet you bring from the US can get its chip read in France. Some countries require pets to be chipped as part of the screening process. If you have a new chip or aren't much of a jet setter, you're ok. But those planning on taking Fido with them on an exotic vacation or European tour, should look into whether their chip can be read abroad.
Want to Help Lost Pets?
Sign up to receive emails about lost pets in your area. HomeAgain® PetRescuers - SIGN UP NOW!