Amber Alert to find your lost pet

My Dad's new kitten "Cisco" proved to be the perfect little feline friend, much to everyone's surprise, it was a match made in Cat Heaven. With his orange stripes and apprehensive nature Cisco reminded my Dad of his favorite childhood pet "Poncho" and the two bonded as the best happily ever after tale would depict, until...Cisco didn't come home one day! What now? Needless to say, my Dad was worried sick and the entire family provided support but what services exist to locate missing pets? Especially cats with his temperament, more likely to run and hide from help instead of running to rescue. He put up flyers, called the Animal Shelter, went door to door and shook dry food in the surrounding area as suggested by one of the help lines and called his Vet for suggestions. It had been over a week with no word, no meow, nothing. You can't help but think how awful it must be for parents with missing children.

Fortunately, huge strides have been seen with the Amber Alert and although the protocol with missing children may be slightly different than with pets, the concept is the same: The sooner the better. PetAmberAlert uses this technology to help spread the word rapidly about your lost dog, cat or any type of missing pet. For example, lets say that there is a lost cat in Chicago. Alert system results in an 85% success rate if the alert goes out in the first week, a 75% success rate after two weeks, and a 65% success rate after eight weeks. PetAmberAlert has the only system combining immediate Poster, Phone and Social Media alerts with an online database where people can search lost cats and locate you and your contact information. I now have them bookmarked for future feline escapades.

Now for Cisco's amazing reunion with my Dad! About 3 weeks had elapsed since Cisco disappeared and although my Dad had all but given up on ever seeing him again he heard a faint but familiar meow in the distance while getting the paper one morning. On the other side of the creek in the back of his house he saw the outline of a cat, but this cat was gray not orange and white, could it be? He finally identified this scrawny, dirty-gray cat as his poor lost Cisco and with the help of one of the nicest condo residents that lived on the other side of the creek, Cisco was returned home, bringing joy to everyone involved. It is still a mystery where he was for all that time but after the Vet checked him out he confirmed that he was dehydrated and had lost lots of weight but was otherwise healthy. Cisco's safe return was a miracle no doubt and had we known about an Amber Alert for pets, there is no doubt that we would have used it!

Cisco now, resting comfortably in his loft, he is not planning any vacations this summer!

Microchipping your pet: Is it the best way to keep track of your wandering loved one?

Up to 8 million animals end up in shelters every year. Unfortunately only about 20% of dogs and less than 2% of cats are ever reclaimed by their owners. One way to increase the chances of finding your lost pet is by having a microchip implanted.

• It's quick! Implanting can be  done in seconds. It doesn't have to be done by a veterinarian but it is recommended, since it does matter where you put it and how you inject it.
• It's almost painless! It hurts about as much as getting blood drawn. It is a large needle so there is a pinch. 
• It's affordable! If you are going to the vet for just one microchip the procedure will be about $50. Scheduling the procedure with your pet's routine check up or other treatment will probably cost even less because you have already paid for the office visit. Local animal shelters and rescue groups do it for less so it might be worthwhile to check it out.

Louise Murray, DVM, director of medicine at ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Hospital in New York City explains how micro chipping works:
What is Micro Chipping:
A needle is used to place a little chip under the animal's skin, usually between the shoulder blades. The chipm as a unique number on it that can be picked up and read by a scanner.
Will the Chip help me get my pet back is lost?
Yes, but only if someone takes them to a shelter or veterinarian's office to be scanned for a chip. Some people think it is like a tracker or GPS device but it only works if scanned.Once they get the chip number and the company that made the chip, the shelter or staff will contact that company to find the owner. Remember to keep your contact information current otherwise they will not be able to locate you.
Do all scanners used by Shelters pick up all microchips?
No, there are more universal scanners now but some work better than others. Not all shelters have universal scanners that work well and the personnel using the scanner need to know how and where to scan. Chips can migrate so they need to scan the body thoroughly--easier said than done sometimes.
Do all Shelters scan for microchips when they find a pet?
All Shelters should scan a pet and they should do it with a universal scanner but there is no guarantee that all shelters do this.
If my pet is micro chipped does he need a tag too?
Yes, A microchip is only part of your pet's identification system. Your pet should also have a collar with tags on it. You can't assume that the person that finds your pet will know anything about microchips but if your phone number is right there everyone knows what to do.