I believe we would be providing a necessary service to owners whose animals have gone missing. Most people are forthcoming if they found the animal they are bringing, and the next step is to check for a microchip. However, there could be an instance where this information isn't mentioned or is missed. By checking to see if an animal has a microchip prior to treatment, we might be able to help reunite animals with their original family. Of course, sometimes animals are microchipped, and the original owner no longer wants the animal, but at least this could be verified.

As someone who runs a rescue and chips every single cat in our care and then registers it, I have been on the end of a shelter contacting me for someone giving up one of our cats to the local shelter vs returning it to us as it states in the contract. In my 30 plus years in vet med, I have seen too many cases of stealing pets even with chips and having to get law enforcement involved, ER's and GPs' not wanting to check because they don't want to be on the receiving end of dealing with who is the pet's owner etc..  and not wanting to trace a non-owner registered chip- but that chip can be traced to placement simply due to the "headache" it can cause. 

If we are recommending permanent ID, we should be checking new patients each time that come in for care, as well as patients that are DOA from road side accidents etc... our scope of care DOES NOT STOP because the person presenting the animal is not the owner or has to pay for services in order to get any type of care, including a chip check. 

If you aren't already checking for a chip, you are providing a sub-level performance of medicine.

Tedious. Will take way too long to do. Not even sure what the purpose of this petition is 

As a general practice, we are regularly checking new patients for microchips as a way to help locate lost animals and ensure the owner's pet still has a working microchip in case anything were to happen. My question for clarification is are we suggesting that we need to contact the microchip company to verify the owner of the implanted microchip prior to exam/treatment? If so, what time frame is acceptable because most of the time, that is private information that only the microchip company is privy too. Personally my pets are registered by Homeagain and they will not give out my information to a clinic or shelter to contact me, only home again will contact me. This could severely prolonged patient care, especially in emergency settings.

I support the petitioner’s request to require veterinarians to check companion animals (canine and feline) for a microchip.  Other than requiring the veterinary to check for a microchip, the petitioner did not express what actions should be taken with the information taken. One assumes at a minimum the veterinarian will document in the patient chart whether there was a microchip present and if so the alphanumeric code.  However, I am opposed to the Board imposing any additional requirement or duty on the veterinarian or the veterinary facility.