Humane Society of Northwest Iowa

 

The HSNWIA microchips all outgoing pets and also offers micro-chipping to the public.

Our Micro-chip Rates:
$25 for first non-shelter animal
$20 for 2nd and each additional pet in same household
$20 each for members' pets

We use 24Petwatch microchips. These chips can be registered and updated for the life of the pet at no additional cost.


Microchips are a safe, permanent and painless way of protecting your pet for a lifetime. Microchips allow lost pets to be identified at shelters or veterinary clinics and greatly increase the chance that your pet will be returned to you quickly.

Already have a chip? Microchips from any provider can also be registered in the 24Petwatch database and they will send you a free ID tag with the 24PetWatch phone number so your pet can quickly be identified when found.

"WHY MICRO-CHIP? (taken from 24Petwatch website)

What is companion animal micro-chipping all about?
A microchip is a rice gain-sized transponder, on which a unique number is embedded. The microchip is inserted using a needle between the shoulder blades of dogs and cats, in a relatively painless procedure, which takes just seconds. We estimate that approximately 5% of dogs and cats in North America have been implanted with a microchip. Traditionally, pets have been micro-chipped for three reasons:

1. By pet owners concerned that their dog or cat might become lost and, as a result, want to have something more than just a collar tag as a form of identification;

2. By breeders wishing to maintain breed integrity and want something more than a tattoo;
3. By shelters, who, want to improve the chances of lost pets being reunited and to help track those pets that are adopted should they at some future date re-enter the shelter community

What makes a microchip system work properly?
There are three essential components to an effective microchip system:

1. The microchip, or as it is sometimes referred to as the 'transponder' or 'RFID' technology which has a number embedded into it which can be read at a certain frequency;
2. The reader, or as it is sometimes referred to as the 'scanner', which is generally a hand-held devise is used to read the number on the microchip which has been implanted in the dog or cat;
3. The database network, where information about the pet owner and the pet can be stored or registered, in each case tied directly to the pet's microchip number.

 

Pethealth, through its 24PetWatch program, is committed to assisting in the standardization of the microchip technology that is used in both Canada and the United States. The microchips we sell through the 24PetWatch program are microchips that have the ability to be read by the readers that are manufactured not only by Allflex (who provides the 24PetWatch technology), but also by the readers manufactured by our competitors. 

 

1. Microchips
In the United States, the use by some companies of an encrypted microchip (one which can only be read by the Company's own reader or by those that they license the code to) has inhibited widespread support for micro-chipping amongst user groups and pet owners alike. However, use of encrypted technology appears to be waning. Pethealth through the 24PetWatch program is doing its part and its market share continues to grow.

2. Readers
Most shelters, emergency clinics and veterinary clinics use readers or scanners as part of dealing with lost pets. Substantially all of these readers can scan all of the microchips in use (meaning they have both a forward and backward technology capability).

3. Database
It is in the area of database management that Pethealth through its 24PetWatch program stands out from the rest. Many of our competitors make little or no attempt to ensure that the number on the microchip is linked to accurate pet owner and pet information. In many cases these companies rely on the clinic or shelter where the chip was first implanted to assist them in dealing with pet information. Still others charge a registration fee to have the pet owner and pet information initially stored but rely totally on the pet owner for any future changes to that information.