“When an animal gets into trouble, the first thing we try to determine is who it belongs to. In the case of a tagged animal, this can be a matter of minutes. When there is no microchip, the real detective work begins – we look for ads, breeders, neighbors, other possible contacts,” says Agnė Žėbienė, head of Vilnius Animal Shelter, and reminds that in Lithuania, the marking and registration of dogs, cats, and ferrets is mandatory, according to a press release.
Read more «Argentina will not sit idly by»: New war threat to the United Kingdom
This aims to ensure responsible pet ownership, reduce illegal breeding and trade, identify persons responsible for the animal, and contribute to more effective control of infectious animal diseases.
Animals born after May 1, 2021, must be tagged within four months of birth, but no later than before being transferred to another owner. Only animals registered in the registry can be transferred to another person. Owners who fail to tag their pet on time face a fine ranging from 30 to 120 euros.
The microchip is useful not only when a pet is lost. It allows linking the pet with the information stored in the Animal Pet Register, including registered rabies vaccinations, and when traveling abroad, it is necessary to identify the animal’s passport and vaccination records.
However, VGGN specialists urge viewing marking not only as a legal obligation but also as a means to help the animal. According to A. Žėbienė, the microchip is the most reliable way to link an animal with its owner: “If a pet gets lost, scanning the microchip reveals its identification number, which allows responsible specialists to find the owner’s contact details stored in the Animal Pet Register,” she says.
As many as 90 percent of dogs and cats brought to VGGN do not have microchips and are not registered. Their owners are found after several days, weeks, or even months. According to her, there have been cases where the animal was already given to new owners, and then unexpectedly a person appears claiming it is their pet. Proper marking and registration of animals would prevent such situations altogether.
Read more Protein bomb: fresh tuna and chickpea salad recipe
However, there are also success stories with happy endings that were made possible precisely because of marking. Once, VGGN received a report about a dog wandering near containers. After taking the animal and checking, it was found to have a microchip, so the owner’s contact details were soon found in the Animal Pet Register. When contacted, the dog’s owner was surprised and claimed the pet was at home with his wife. It turned out she thought the dog had gone out with her husband. It is likely that the dog slipped out unnoticed when the man left the house. So the owners did not even know the pet had escaped, and the microchip allowed the dog to be quickly returned home.
What to do if you find a lost animal?
If you find a lost dog or cat, you should contact a veterinary clinic, Vilnius Animal Shelter, or another animal welfare organization where the animal can be checked for a microchip. If found and the data in the register is current, the owner can be informed, and the pet can quickly return home.
Tagging a pet is simple and quick
If your pet is not yet tagged, you just need to contact a veterinarian or another specialist authorized to mark animals. A small microchip is inserted under the skin between the shoulder blades, and its unique number along with the animal’s and owner’s data is registered in the Animal Pet Register.
There are still misconceptions that inserting a microchip is painful or can harm the pet. In fact, the procedure takes only a few seconds and is similar to a regular vaccination. The microchip is very small, does not cause discomfort to the animal, and is not a GPS tracker that allows location tracking – it simply provides the pet with a unique identification number that helps identify its owner.
“Tagging an animal takes much less time than searching for it when lost. We would like owners to view marking not as an unpleasant procedure or formality but as one of the simplest ways to ensure their pet’s safety,” says A. Žėbienė.
Read more Poland and Ukraine are considering submitting a joint bid to host the World Cup
