Today is Check the Chip Day! Join Alley Cat Allies in telling the world about the power of the microchip. With this tiny technology, a quick scan may just save a cat’s life!
The reunion stories make headlines almost every day. Thanks to a microchip, Oscar Bob was able to return to his family in Missouri after accidentally hitching a ride all the way to Michigan! In Delaware, Ritz finally came home…after 16 YEARS missing. If not for a scan of his microchip, he would have been killed instead. A microchip was also the reason a family knew their beloved cat, Oliver, had indeed travelled over 40 miles to reunite with them.
Overseas, Moss the cat’s microchip enabled him to reunite with his family and twin brother in New Zealand after three and a half years apart. One-eyed Dexter, who was separated from his family in Scotland for five years (but cared for by many along the way), was finally able to come home thanks to a microchip scan.
And that’s barely scratching the surface!
These reunions seem like miracles, but the truth is even better: We have the power to make them happen! It all comes down to ensuring every cat you care for, whether they live indoors or outdoors, is microchippedand registered with your up-to-date contact information.
But a microchip can do nothing unless someone scans for it. That’s why it’s so important to “check the chip.”
Alley Cat Allies’ Plan to Scan® campaign educates veterinary professionals, shelter staff, and animal control officers to always scan a cat for a microchip the moment she enters their care. Because the sooner a cat is scanned, the sooner she can go home. And since animal shelters can be stressful and dangerous environments for cats, that quick turnaround makes all the difference.
That is why Alley Cat Allies advocates for immediate microchip scanning protocols to be made law! In Texas, we were the number one supporter of a groundbreaking bill requiring shelters and rescues to immediately scan animals in their custody for a microchip. The law went into effect in 2021.
We also encourage shelters, rescues, veterinary offices, and advocates to host or fund free microchip clinics for cats and dogs in their communityand have facilitated many such clinics ourselves. Together, we can ensure cost is not a barrier to this critical technology.
Additionally, Alley Cat Allies developed resources to make it quick, easy, and fun to educate your community about microchipping and scanning. This Check the Chip Day, make a commitment to hang our Plan to Scan® and Microchips Save Lives posters in veterinary offices, shelters, shopping mallsanywhere. You can also grab the postcards of our Plan to Scan® and Microchips Save Lives information. It’s lifesaving knowledge in the palm of your hand.
Let’s save more cats by spreading the word about microchips and scanning, on Check the Chip day and every day!