Do you believe in miracles? Ron Murray and Tammy MacLeod do. And they owe their miracle to a tiny microchip that brought Peanut Butter the kitty back home after being lost for over 3 months. Read about their joyful reunion and why it’s so important to microchip your pet.
On May 20th, Ron’s back door was accidentally left open a crack and precious Peanut Butter disappeared in the blink of an eye. “It was late at night and I don’t know how he scooted out the door so fast,” said Ron. “I raced outside calling his name, but he was nowhere to be found. I went through the neighborhood and asked people to be on the lookout for Peanut Butter. I was so worried
“When he wasn’t back in a few days, I really started to worry. I blasted Facebook and posted on Lost Cat groups. I called the Nova Scotia SPCA and Animal Control to see if he’d been turned in.” Ron and Tammy spent hours searching for Peanut Butter. Anytime someone would post that they saw an orange kitty roaming, Ron would race there to see if it was his sweet Peanut Butter. While the prospect of finding Peanut Butter was fading, he never gave up.
On August 10th, a kind-hearted SPCA volunteer found a thin matted ball of fur roaming the streets and brought him to safety at the SPCA Dartmouth Shelter. When shelter staff scanned the cat, they hit the jackpot. There was a registered microchip with a name and phone number. It was Peanut Butter!
“When the SPCA called to say Peanut Butter had been found, we couldn’t have been more excited,” says Tammy. Ron adds, “He lost a lot of weight and has a cut on his lip. I’m nursing him back to health and keeping him close. It’s a miracle that was only possible because Peanut Butter was microchipped.”
Tammy agrees that getting Peanut Butter microchipped was one of the best decisions she has ever made – “The vet had suggested Peanut Butter be microchipped when he got fixed. It’s amazing that a decision that I made years ago helped Peanut Butter go from lost to found.
WHY MICROCHIPS MATTER
If you haven’t microchipped your furry family member yet, consider this:
- 1 out of 3 family pets will get lost
- microchipped dogs are more than twice as likely to be returned to their families
- microchipped cats are more than 20 times as likely to be returned to their families
A microchip gives your lost pet the best chance of being returned home safely. The biggest reason why missing pets aren’t returned home is they’ve lost their collars or their ID tags have become unreadable due to time and wear. A digital microchip lasts 25 years and eliminates this possibility.
It’s a one-time inexpensive purchase. This one-time cost can save you from unimaginable heartbreak if your pet goes missing. All pets adopted through the Nova Scotia SPCA are microchipped already and registered with 24 Pet Watch. Plus, thanks to our friends at PetSmart Charities of Canada, pets who have subsidized spay/neuter surgeries booked at SPCA Hospitals and Clinics receive a complimentary microchip!
Implanting a microchip is quick and painless. A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice. It’s like getting a vaccination.
A microchip only works if you register your pet’s microchip number and if you keep your contact information up-to-date on the registration site. August 15 is national Check the Chip Day – a great time to:
- ensure that your pet’s microchip information is registered, and your contact info is current. Not sure who your pet is registered with? Simple! Ask your vet to scan and check at your next exam.
- get your pet microchipped!
Although microchips are small, they can make a big difference by reuniting pets with their families.