HomeAgain
Microchip Identification Program
WHAT IS MICROCHIPPING?
Microchipping is Permanent Pet Identification
The HomeAgain® Microchip Identification system is a safe, simple and permanent form of pet identification designed to quickly identify lost pets and reunite them with their owners. Over 10 million pets become lost each year.* 1 out of every 3 pets is lost during its lifetime, and only 1 in 10 lost pets is found. ** The HomeAgain® Microchip Identification System is a proven way to successfully recover your pet if it should become lost.
IS MICROCHIPING SAFE?
Microchipping is Safe, Simple, and Effective Technology
No bigger than a grain of rice, the HomeAgain microchip is a small, sterile transponder that contains a unique ID code capable of being read by a compatible scanner. The microchip’s biocompatible material is extremely safe for the animal. The HomeAgain microchip is a passive device. It requires no battery and remains inactive until it is scanned.
NEW PET? OLD FRIEND?
Pet owners agree, the major benefit of HomeAgain is Peace of Mind.
Anesthesia is not necessary for implantation. Consider having your pet microchipped during a scheduled procedure or check up. Microchipping your pet with HomeAgain takes just seconds, is relatively painless and is recommended for dogs and cats of all breeds and ages. It is safe for puppies and kittens, as well as older pets who may wander away from home.
HOW DO RECOVERIES HAPPEN?
24/7 Database Access
When you enroll your microchipped pet in the nationwide recovery database, your contact information is safely stored until it is needed to reunite you with your pet. A professional recovery team maintains the database 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and notifies you as soon as your pet’s ID number is called into the 24-hour recovery hotline. Animal clinics and shelters scan lost animals and call the animal recovery unit to report a found pet. Currently, with the HomeAgain Microchip Identification System, a successful recovery occurs approximately every 15 minutes.
A PLACE FOR YOU AND YOUR PET ON THE INTERNET
Free Online Benefits
HomeAgain uses the Internet to provide you with unique opportunities. Once your pet has been microchipped with HomeAgain and enrolled with the animal recovery unit, you are eligible for free membership on the HomeAgainID.com website. Registered users receive pet related news and feature articles, a monthly newsletter, and an online database for storing your pets health information. Look for more important services like these in the future. www.HomeAgainID.com
*The National Humane Society
** The National Council of Pet Population Study and Policy
RESPONSIBLE PET CARE
Microchip
With microchip identification, a pet that is lost can be shown the way home. The case for having your pet implanted with a microchip is a strong one, as the statistics show that microchipping is the best, most reliable method of permanently identifying your pet.
More than 258,032 people have discovered just how true this is, as their pets were returned to them thanks to microchip identification; don't let your pet become just another statistic.
The Case
Having a microchip ID tag installed is one of the simplest forms of permanent identification. The benefits of a microchip ID far outweigh the costs - a few dollars hurts far less than the pain of losing a beloved friend.
The case for having your pet microchipped is a strong one, as the facts do not lie:
- 30-60% of lost pets in shelters are euthanized because they cannot be properly identified and returned to their owner.
- Only about 14% of dogs and 4% of cats who end up in shelters are returned to their rightful owners.
- Less than 25% of all animals that enter shelters are adopted by new owners.
- About 2 million pets that are reported missing each year may be victims of theft.
- Collar tags are a great way to identify lost pets and reunite them with their owners, but they can easily come off or be removed.
- Tattoos are difficult to remove from an animal, but they are still not 100% reliable. Tattoos can be altered, fade, or blur, and are not always easy to read.
- Reading a microchip is far easier than trying to read the tattoo of a frightened stray animal.
- Microchipping is permanent, completely unalterable, and does not change or harm the appearance of the animal in any way.
- There are about 20,000 microchip scanners currently in use by shelters, veterinarians, and municipal organizations around the country.
- The procedure is safe, inexpensive, fast and virtually painless for the animal.
Microchip: Statistics
Microchipping has proven in a very short time to be the most effective means of providing your pet with permanent identification. The numbers don't lie.
- Approximate number of dogs in the US: 60,000,000
- Approximate number of cats in the US: 65,000,000
- Number of pets entering animal shelters each year: 8-10 million
- Number of pets that are euthanized each year: 4-5 million
- Percentage of pets in animal shelters that are either returned to their owners or adopted out to new families: less than 25%
- Number of pets that have HomeAgain microchip identification: 2,765,526
- Approximate number of microchip scanners currently in use by shelters and veterinarians: 20,000
- Number of pets recovered thanks to their microchip ID's: 258,03
Sources:
American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) 2001-2002 National Pet Owners Survey.
HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service
HOW IT WORKS
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TECHNICAL INFORMATION
The HomeAgain Microchip
The HomeAgain Microchip Identification System starts, of course, with the microchip itself. Manufactured for Schering-Plough Animal Health Corporation by Digital Angel, Inc., the microchips are comprised of a proprietary technology centered on the use of a passive electronic device that emits a radio frequency only when activated by the scanner.
Unique
Each HomeAgain microchip is in reality designed with the express purpose of storing and transmitting a unique alphanumeric code. This code represents your pet’s essential identification -- it is the number used by HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service to determine your address and phone number, enabling your pet to return home.
Size
Obviously, one of the most significant technical features of the HomeAgain microchip is its size. About the size of a grain of rice (approximately 12mm), the microchip is so small it usually cannot be seen in your pet once it has been implanted. Thanks to this small size, the actual implantation of the microchip is quite easy. Your veterinarian simply injects it beneath the surface of the skin between the shoulder blades. The process takes only a few seconds, is virtually painless, and requires no special treatment or anesthetic.
For Life
Finally, and most importantly, the HomeAgain microchip has no batteries or internal energy source so it will last the life of your pet. After implantation, the microchip remains inactive until it is read with a scanner - the low radio frequency emitted by the scanner provides the microchip with the power necessary to transmit its unique code and positively identify the animal. Thus, the microchip itself has no internal power and will be able to transmit the ID code for the life of the animal.
FAQ
- What is HomeAgain?
- Who recommends HomeAgain?
- Is there proof the system works?
- What if a pet is lost and HomeAgain can’t reach the owner?
- How big is the microchip?
- How are pets microchipped?
- Is microchipping safe?
- How much does HomeAgain cost?
- Why is microchipping the preferred method of identifying pets?
- What’s unique about the HomeAgain scanner?
- How can pet owners enroll their pets with the HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service?
HomeAgain is an advanced pet identification and retrieval system. A microchip with a unique identification code is implanted between the shoulder blades of the pet. The pet is enrolled with the HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service. HomeAgain maintains a national database and is available 24-hours daily, 365 days a year. When a lost pet is found, it can be scanned at an animal shelter or the clinic of a participating veterinarian. The animal’s identification number is called into HomeAgain (1-866-PET-ID24), and the pet owner is notified immediately. HomeAgain also has an e-mail address where found pets can be reported (found@homeagainid.com).
Pets enrolled in the system also receive collar tags to wear with their HomeAgain identification number and our toll-free number. The tags alone help identify lost pets, but tags/collars can come off easily. A microchip provides permanent identification that remains in place.
A growing number of veterinarians and animal shelters throughout the United States also recommend HomeAgain.
Is there proof the system works?
More than 2,765,526 pets are enrolled with the HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service. HomeAgain is responsible for reuniting more than 258,032 lost pets with their owners.
What if a pet is lost and HomeAgain can’t reach the owner?
HomeAgain asks anyone enrolling their pet in the program to provide alternate contacts, which may be relatives or a veterinarian. The HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service will call them if the owner cannot be reached. It also is imperative that pet owners make sure their phone numbers are kept up-to-date with HomeAgain.
About the size of a grain of rice. You cannot see the microchip after it is implanted in the dog or cat.
The procedure is simple and similar to administering a vaccine. The microchip comes preloaded in a sterile applicator and is injected under the skin between the shoulder blades.
Extensive testing and long-term studies have shown the HomeAgain microchip is safe for pets.
HomeAgain can be purchased online, along with enrollment in the Recovery Service for just $68.50. It can also be purchased directly from veterinary clinics, where the price may vary. When you purchase HomeAgain directly through your veterinarian, enrollment in the database costs an additional $17.50.
Assistance animals - dogs that assist the handicapped - can be enrolled in the recovery program for free. Some shelters may offer discounts for microchipping to people adopting shelter animals.
Why is microchipping the preferred method of identifying pets?
All pets should wear collar tags imprinted with their name and the phone number of their owner or veterinarian, but tags can come off. Tattooing pets with a number - often the owner’s social security number - is another method of identifying pets, especially dogs. However, veterinarians and pet rescue experts say tattoos can blur over time, making them difficult to read, and they can be altered. It’s possible that duplicate tattoo numbers exist. A microchip provides a permanent form of identification with a unique number that cannot be altered.
What’s unique about the HomeAgain scanner?
The scanner provided to animal shelters is called the Pocket Reader EX™ and is manufactured by Digital Angel, Inc. In independent field trials conducted by the American Humane Association, the Pocket Reader EX™ provided nearly 100 percent overall accuracy in identifying and reading different microchips and was the best of the scanners tested.
How can pet owners enroll their pets with HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service?
They can contact a local veterinarian participating in the HomeAgain system, who can implant the microchip, provide the collar tag at time of implantation, as well as an enrollment form for the HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service.
If adopting a new pet from an animal shelter, the shelter may provide microchipping with HomeAgain.
For more information about HomeAgain, call 1-800-521-5767 or contact the HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service at 1-866-PETID24 (1-866-738-4324).