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The microchips, implanted in animals adopted from the BCASAC as well as at community outreach events, increase the ability of shelter staff to reunite pets with their owners if they are ever lost.
All animals picked up or handed into the animal shelter are scanned for a microchip with a universal scanner. This scan can provide the animal identification number to allow the owner to be contacted.
A study published by the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2009 found that having a microchip drastically increases the chance that the animal will be returned to its owner. Only about 22 percent of lost dogs that enter animal shelters are reunited with their families, but for microchipped dogs this jumps to over 52 percent.
“This is just another example of the top-notch services offered by the Bergen County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center,” Freeholder David L. Ganz said in a statement. “Statistics show that 1 in 3 pets will become lost at some point during their life. We know that microchipping works, and is often the difference between owners finding their beloved pets again and heartbreak. I want to encourage all of our residents to consider getting their animals microchipped and registered.”
The cost of the microchip is included in adoption fees when a resident adopts an animal from the BCASAC.
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