CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The city of Corpus Christi passed a new ordinance requiring all pet owners to have all pets microchipped in May.
To help make the transition easier for pet owners, the city is offering free micro-chipping every Thursday at the Animal Care Servicesoffice from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The free service starts Thursday June 17.
The microchip has information on the owner and the animal's medical information, which can be essential if your pet is ever lost.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, a study of more than 7,700 stray animals at animal shelters showed that dogs without microchips were returned to their owners 21.9% of the time, whereas microchipped dogs were returned to their owners 52.2% of the time. Cats without microchips were reunited with their owners only 1.8% of the time, whereas microchipped cats went back home 38.5% of the time. (Lord et al, JAVMA, July 15, 2009) For microchipped animals that weren't returned to their owners, most of the time it was due to incorrect owner information (or no owner information) in the microchip registry database – so don't forget to register and keep your information updated.
The Animal Care Services office is located at 2626 Holly Rd. No appointment is needed.
