Sex and Tampa Bay

Having a pet run away is a nightmare for any pet parent. Luckily, the advent of microchipping has made it much easier for lost pets to be reunited with their owners. Local animal shelters and animal services have been microchipping pets for years and offering the service to the public for around $25-$50 dollars. When I adopted Ginger Kitty she came already chipped.

This simple procedure is about to get a lot harder if the Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine has anything to say about it. They are considering a motion that would make microchipping a veterinary procedure. That means it would need to be done under the direct supervision of a licensed Vet.

Why the change? It all comes down to money. Hundreds of thousands of animals have been microchipped by shelters and rescue groups with no issues. But the veterinary board looks at that number and sees lost revenue. If all of those procedures had to be done in a Vet’s office it could mean lots of money for the doctors.

There is no reason why microchipping needs to be done in a Vet’s office. It doesn’t involve sedation or surgery. It is the equivalent of demanding that all piercings happen at a doctor’s office.

The result is that instead of having to pay $30 to have a pet chipped at the local shelter, people will need to pay $100 to have it done by the Vet. And at that price, many people will just skip the procedure altogether.  It will lead to animals being put down needlessly, just because they got lost and couldn’t be reunited with their owners.

Take 2 minutes out of your day and go to the ASPCA website and let the Veterinary board know that you oppose this measure. You can make a difference without having to leave the computer.

And make sure that your pets are all microchipped!