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Animals going high-tech
Microchip helps owners keep track of pets, livestock
Published Monday, January 21, 2008
NATCHEZ — No one wants to lose a pet, and the loss of prize breeding livestock can be devastating to a producer, and so in recent years many have turned to technology to help reduce the risk of having their animals forever displaced.
Using a small, bead-shaped microchip placed under the skin by a veterinarian, owners can leave their animals with an invisible — and permanent — ID.
The microchip, which emits a low-frequency signal, can remain active for 33 years, longer than most pets and livestock live, Natchez Veterinarian Byron Garrity said.
With a wave of a wand-like reading device, a veterinarian can read the chip’s serial number and then can read the animal’s information off of a database provided by the chip’s manufacturer based on that serial number.
The odds of an animal getting lost at some point in its life are 50 percent, Garrity said.
Natchez-Adams Humane Society President Linda Harper said the society has the equipment to scan for the chips and encourages people to tag their pets with them.
“Very often, when these animals come in, they don’t have any kind collar on,” she said.
The biggest problem with the chips is that of the 10 major providers of animal-ID microchips, only one of them identifies which company the serial number belongs to, Garrity said.
“With that one exception, I’d have to go on the Internet and try to find who manufactured that chip before I could identify the animal,” he said.
Garrity said he has written a letter to all of the chip providers to compile a single database, but he doesn’t think it will happen any time soon.
The chip’s uses thus far are limited to providing identification information.
“It doesn’t work like a LoJack tracking system on a car,” Garrity said. “The cost would be astronomical to put that kind of tracking device on a dog. A tracking device like that would be great but the technology is expensive.”
The chip technology has only recently begun to catch on in popularity in the Miss-Lou, Garrity said, but many of his clients who move in from other states have already had the procedure done.
“If someone comes in and tells us they have found an animal, we automatically scan it,” Garrity said.
Aside from using the chip to help identify livestock that may have been scattered in the event of an emergency, Garrity said some people are using it to prevent fraud.
“That could keep the same prize winning bull from being entered in two county fairs in two states by two people claiming to be its owner,” he said. “It can also be used to make sure quarantined livestock isn’t re-entered into the population.”
Using the chip has helped aid the recovery of pets locally.
“We recently recovered one dog that was lost on the Gulf Coast during a vacation,” Garrity said. “Another lady moved to Arizona and she lost her dog out there, but we were able to recover that dog all the way out in Arizona.”
Comments
Posted by NtzMom55 (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 1:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So what is the cost for such a device/procedure?
Posted by LocustStorm (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by Username (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 8:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Be sure to ask your vet about the high cancer risk associated with RFID chips.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 9:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I lived for a short period of time in a different state in 2006 and everyone has their pets "chipped" as soon as they are born! I thought it was a great idea and never knew there was a cancer risk...thanks for the info Username.
Posted by Username (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So i guess that comment about loathing this vet was not a postive comment and was worthy of being removed by the staff.
Leaves me to believe that this story is to line the pockets of this vet. In other words an ADVERTISEMENT.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I missed it Username. What did they say? Break it down of course so your translation will not also be removed!
Posted by supertrucker47 (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
WATS UP?
Posted by supertrucker47 (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 11:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
NEXT THEY WILL WANT TO START PUTTING THESE DEVICES IN HUMANES TO TRACK US.THE NEW WORLD PRDER IS ON THE RISE.THE MARK OF THE BEAST.THIS IS THE 666 COMING TO LIGHT PEOPLE.DONT BE STUPID.
Posted by Avidsaveslives (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There are no reports that directly associate microchips with cancer in companion animals. The reports that have come out were related to lab rats and mice, which are genetically prone to cancers of all kinds that can be caused by needle sticks, tail docking and immunizations.
Tens of millions of pets are identified with microchips with no problem, except if lost, they are reunited with their families. There are thousands of successful reunions each week because of the microchip.
Microchips are safe and the benefits far outweigh the potential concerns. Microchips can not do it all, owners must be responsible and keep the contact information current in the national database and with their vets.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 12:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I look for this to be placed in every child born in the world before it's over with. All personal data will be implemented on this chip. I think the Bible refers to it as the mark of the beast on the forehead. Think for a moment on this. A chip can be placed on arm or leg and a person can still live without those extremities if they were cut off, but it's quite different in you have your head cut off. Science has come a long way during my life time, think what it will be 50 to a 100 years down the road. Anything and everything you do will show up on the implant. When I was a child I heard about paid tv, you can imagine my little dumb brain picturing people feeding quarters to a tv. lol.
Posted by LocustStorm (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 4:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I suspected that my comment would be removed but I wrote it anyway. I figured that if others could write hearsay and spread gossip and rumors, and have off-subject conversations, and add THEIR opinions to the stories, that I could at least express my disdain for this vet. (Check out Destiny's post - if mine was removed then why shouldn't hers be?)<not because I disagree with her or anything, but because it's more "out-of-the-way" than what I said about the vet.
It's not like I posted false info or said anything really bad...
I guess now, since my comment is gone, everyone can just SPECULATE on what I might have said.
By the way: If I had said I loved this vet, would that comment have been removed? I don't think so.
Posted by plpriest (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 4:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
the cost is about $35.oo and is worth it. You can get them at the vet and some of the feed stores have them.
Posted by linenbreeze (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 4:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
((LocustStorm)) I've heard good reports & bad reports about the RFID chips.
I agree if your comment had been positive about the vet it would not have been removed!
Posted by peacerulz (anonymous) on January 21, 2008 at 11:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
maybe if there was something positive to say he/she would have said it.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on January 22, 2008 at 7:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OFF THE SUBJECT has anyone noticed the comment section about Wal Mart has been taken off? What happened?
Posted by LocustStorm (anonymous) on January 22, 2008 at 2:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
PEACERULZ - you are correct.
The Democrat (and Garrity) should be glad that I was "nice" enough, that I didn't ACTUALLY LIST the REASONS for WHY I dislike Garrity!!!
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