Giving your pet a permanent identifier is important for having them be tracked back to you. No one plans to lose their pets, but a slip of the collar or a streak out the open door can happen to anyone, and then your pet is alone, scared and may travel further away from you. With identifiers, your pet can be tracked back to you so that you can be reunited!
Tattoo
While your pet is anesthetized, we tattoo a series of numbers and letters on the inside of their ear. This code is entered into their file, which is tied to you. If your pet is picked up by anyone, they can read the tattoo and call a clinic or dog control, who should be able to identify which clinic the tattoo came from. This only works locally. Keep in mind tattoos can occasionally fade over time and become unreadable.
Microchip
A microchip is inserted between your pet's shoulder blades with a needle. Similar to getting a vaccine, this can be done while the pet is awake. The microchip is the size of a grain of rice, neither you nor your pet should notice it. You will be given an information packet that allows you to register the microchip number in a national database, so if your pet is lost further away from home, someone with a microchip reader (like a vet clinic or dog control) can scan the number and access your information in the database.
Either option is a reasonable and effective preventative measure for securing your pet’s presence and safety, and return. It is also a good idea to ensure your pet is wearing a collar and tags with up to date owner information.