Animal shelter provides low-cost microchipping
Jamie Iglehart of Geneva is a single mother without a large budget for pet care. So when she wanted to protect her 5-month-old kitten, Lucy, from getting lost, Iglehart was able to have a microchip inserted by giving a donation to the Anderson Animal Shelter. Staff and volunteers from the South Elgin shelter were at the Gander Mountain store in Geneva Saturday to offer low-cost microchipping.
"Lucy is real lovable, she loves to be petted," Iglehart said.
The gray tabby was back in her pet carrier, wide-eyed and, apparently, unfazed after enduring the procedure, which amounted to getting a shot.
"I'm not sure I would have done this without this event," Iglehart said. "This works for me. If she ever gets out of the house, now they can find her and give her right back."
According to Lesya Kercheval of the Anderson Animal Shelter, microchipping can cost between $40 and $60 at a veterinary clinic, plus the cost of registration.
On Saturday, pets owners were able to register their pets for free after making a donation to the shelter.
Microchipping can give a pet owner peace of mind. A Will County woman recently was reunited with her dog after a separation of three years, because the dog had a microchip.
"We would love to see more strays with microchips," Kercheval said. "Then we'd be able to find their owners. And you can also include a medical alert. So if a dog needs medication for example, the person who finds the dog will know."
The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is inserted between the pet's shoulder blades. The pet owner also receives a tag, which is attached to the pet's collar and has a number that corresponds to the microchip number.
Even if the tag is lost, the pet owner can be identified because the number on the microchip can be read with a scanner. The microchip numbers and the owner's contact information are registered with microchip manufacturer.
Kercheval said it was the third time that Anderson Animal Shelter offered microchipping at Gander Mountain. During a January event, shelter staff inserted 97 microchips.
Shelter volunteers also brought several dogs who are available for adoption. According to the shelter's newsletter, hard economic times have meant that more owners are relinquishing their pets because of home foreclosures, job losses and other life changes.
For information, visit andersonanimalshelter.org.