Sadly, statistics indicate that missing pets rarely make their way back home. And more surprisingly is that 1 in every 3 pets will become lost at some point during their life.

Enter the microchip. Pet microchips significantly increase the likelihood of a lost pet returning home by offering secure and permanent identification information. Since its development in 1996, it’s estimated that more than 4 million microchipped animals have been returned home.

Here are a few tips for making sure you get the most benefit out of your pet’s microchip: 

• Be sure to register your pet’s microchip and keep your contact information current. If you change phone numbers or move, contact the company that provided the microchip and update your information in their system.
• Have your pet’s microchip scanned annually to be sure it’s working correctly. The best time to do this is when you take your pet in for his yearly check-up.
• The U.S. doesn’t have a national microchip database that houses all microchipped information. So be aware that if your pet is microchipped in one state but gets lost in a different state, the chip reader may not detect the microchip.
• Matted fur can make detection of a microchip difficult. Keep your pet well groomed to ensure best results when scanning for a microchip.