Microchips are an invaluable tool in helping reunite lost pets with their families. That’s why the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) joined together to create Check the Chip Day (Aug. 15) to remind pet owners to check once a year to make certain their pets’ microchip registration information is up-to-date.
To help illustrate this message, the AVMA and AAHA, with the support of HomeAgain, have developed an animated video showing how one lost dog was reunited with his family, thanks to his microchip.
“Microchips may be the most effective tool we have in making sure lost pets find their way home,” says AVMA President Dr. Joe Kinnarney. “But far too often, those reunions don’t happen because people have failed to keep their registration and contact information up-to-date. As the video illustrates, simply taking a few minutes to make sure your pets’ microchip information is current can ensure they find their way home if lost. It could also save their lives.”
In addition to the video, the AVMA has developed and gathered a number of other resources for veterinarians. This includes a member toolkit that contains a wide range of resources to help AVMA members observe Check the Chip Day in their clinics. The toolkit contains ready-to-use social media posts, tools to help veterinarians make presentations or raise awareness in their communities, tips for hosting microchip scanning events, and ideas to get clients into the clinic to discuss their microchip registry information. There’s also a downloadable flyer that veterinarians can post in their clinics.
The AVMA has also created a Check the Chip Day event on Facebook, where they’ll be sharing microchip reunion stories between now and August 15. Social media users can also follow the hashtag #CheckTheChipDay on any of their networks to see microchip-related posts.
For more information on microchips and Check the Chip Day, or to set up an interview with an AVMA expert, contact Michael San Filippo, senior media relations specialist, at 847-285-6687 (office), 847-732-6194 (cell), or msanfilippo@avma.org.
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