THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, June 10, 1996 TAG: 9606080034
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUNNY TAYLOR, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY BREAK
LENGTH: 85 lines
SOME PETS in Hampton Roads have chips on their shoulders.
Microchips, that is: Using several proliferating high-tech systems, pet owners are having the computer chips implanted in their animals' skin, between the shoulder blades, as a permanent means of identification.
If a ``chipped'' pet is taken to a shelter, a scanner can help identify its owner. Proponents claim the chips beat traditional dog tags, which can fall off or be removed, or tattoos, which can be impossible to trace.
The microchips, about the size rice grains, each have a unique identification number programmed into them. When a shelter scanner finds a chip, operators can trace the number to an owner through a computerized registry.
Because the chips have no power supply to replace or moving parts to wear out, they will last for decades, well beyond the life expectancy of most pets, manufacturers say.
The chips are made of biocompatible glass and contains no harmful substances, according to Keith Wall, technical services veterinarian for the Home Again Companion Animal Retrieval System. Home Again is one of three dog-chip; the other two are AVID and Infopet.
Until recently, competition among the manufacturers made the systems somewhat uncertain, according to Mary Wilson, public relations spokesperson for the Companion Animals Section of the Humane Society of the United States.
Each company's scanner read only the information for its own brand, though each did detect the presence of a competitor's chip.
To resolve the situation, the three microchip companies recently announced the development of a universal scanner, capable of reading all three microchips, according to Mitch Hammontree, sales manager for AVID.
``We have placed 16,000 universal readers free of charge in shelters and humane societies nationwide, and more are going out daily,'' he said recently.
Shelters in Hampton Roads were scheduled to recieve universal scanners in the spring or summer.
Area shelters contacted recently - The Animal Assistance League in Chesapeake, the Norfok and Virginia Beach SPCAs and the Portsmouth Humane Society - had two scanners, one for Home Again chip, the other for AVID.
The facilities did not have scanners for Infopet, because it has been marketed primarily on the West Coast.
Fees and methods of registering animals vary.
``Having an animal `chipped' is a package,'' said Dr. Geoff Campbell of SAJO Farm Veterinary Hospital in Virginia Beach. ``I use Home Again, which includes the microchip and implantation, a collar identification tag and an information form.''
Cost for the procedure at SAJO Farm is $47. ``I think that's probably about average for the complete procedure,'' Campbell said.
According to Hammontree, the AVID microchip was adapted and patented for use in animal identification by a California veterinarian about 10 years ago. The chip has been implanted in animals, including the whale in the movie ``Free Willy'' and the Queen of England's Welsh corgis.
Pam Johnson, development director for the Norfolk SPCA, said that all animals brought to the SPCA are routinely scanned for the presence of microchips. She said the concept of microchipping is a good one, but expressed concern about the cost involved.
``I think the cost of microchipping needs to come down if it is to be generally accepted,'' she said.
Dan Keller, operations manager of the Virginia Beach SPCA, said much the same thing.
``We have yet to find a microchip,'' he said, ``but that does not mean the system is not a good one. We find that people who take the time, effort and trouble to microchip their animals are also most responsible at keeping their pets confined.
``I think that microchipping of companion animals is good,'' he said. ``Tattooing an animal for identification is not that useful because tattoos can fade, or there can be duplicates. Also, if you find a tattoo, then what? Who do you call?
``Anything available to us that will help us to reunite people with their lost pets is good, and microchipping offers a way to do this in the shortest possible time.'' MEMO: For more information about Home Again, which works in
conjunction with the American Kennel Club registry for companion
animals, call (800) 252-7894. For information on AVID and its animal
registry, PETtrac, call (800) 336-2843. For information on Infopet,
call (800) 463-6738. ILLUSTRATION: LAWRENCE JACKSON
The Virginian-Pilot
Dr. Geoff Campbell (right) scans tiny chip (inset) after it is
implanted in his dog. by CNB