Ensuring Your Pet’s Safety: Microchipping for Hurricane Season

As the hurricane season approaches, it is crucial to prioritize the well-being of your pets.  One effective measure a pet owner can take to ensure their beloved companion’s safety is to have them microchipped.  If your pet already has a microchip, it is important to verify that the information registered with the microchip company is accurate.

Microchips serve as invaluable tools for pet owners, offering a reliable method of identification that greatly enhances the chances of reuniting lost or stolen pets with their rightful owners.  Unlike traditional ID tags and collars, microchips provide a permanent form of identification that cannot be easily altered or removed, thus ensuring a more secure and dependable means of identifying a pet.

While traditional ID tags and collars are beneficial, it is essential to acknowledge their limitations, as they can easily come off.  Therefore, having both a microchip and visible tags is an ideal combination.  A heartwarming example of the importance of microchipping can be found in the experiences of Sky and Kuzco’s family during Hurricane Irma.

Sky was living in the Florida Keys with her family when Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc on their lives.  Their home sustained severe damage, forcing them to relocate.  Tragically, during this same time, their beloved cat, Sky went missing.  They embarked on an exhaustive search, scouring every possible location, including local shelters, and reporting her disappearance to the microchip company.  Despite their tireless efforts, Sky remained elusive, devastating her family.

Five years later and 400 miles away from where Sky disappeared, a kind- hearted individual discovered her as a stray and promptly took her to a veterinary clinic.  Fortunately, Sky has been microchipped and her owner has diligently maintained up-to-date information.  The microchip enabled the clinic to contact Sky’s family, who were overwhelmed with joy at the prospect of being reunited with their long-lost feline companion.  Today, Sky is happy to be back home with her family.

Kuzco’s family welcomed him into their lives in 2007, adopting him from the SPCA of Tampa Bay.  Always an indoor cat, Kuzco managed to slip out of the house in August 2017.  His litterbox has been kept on the front porch in the hopes that its familiar scent will guide him back home.  Tragically, Hurricane Irma struck the area in September 2017, and Kuzco’s family feared they would never see him again.

In October 2019, Kuzco’s family received an unexpected call from Tampa Bay Veterinary Specialist Emergency Hospital, informing them that Kuzco has been found and his microchip indicated he was listed as lost.  Without hesitation, the family rushed to the emergency hospital to reclaim their furry friend.  To their immense relief Kuzco was found in excellent condition, suggesting that someone cared for him during his absence.  Once back home, Kuzco readjusted quickly and resumed his usual demeaner.

Both families express profound gratitude for having microchipped their loved companions and for diligently updating their information over the passage of time.  If your pet is yet to be microchipped, now is the time to take this simple step that will grant you peace of mind throughout their entire life.