Aug. 15 is Check the Chip Day

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National Check the Chip Day August 15 Lost or stolen pets have a much greater chance of being reunited with their families if they have been microchipped and the registration information is up to date.

So the AVMA and the American Animal Hospital Association team up each year to co-sponsor national Check the Chip Day on Aug. 15, to remind pet owners about having their pets microchipped and keeping current their registration.

To help veterinarians promote the upcoming event, the AVMA and AAHA developed resources with support from microchip manufacturer HomeAgain.

One resource is a flyer that a veterinarian can print and fill in to provide a record of a pet's microchip information for the client. The flyer also lists the websites of microchip manufacturers that participate in the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool. The tool helps pet owners who do not know where a pet's microchip is registered.

Another resource is an infographic on microchipping, for embedding on blogs or other websites or for sharing via social media. According to the infographic, "Microchips don't replace a tag and collar, but they can make all the difference when it comes to getting your pet back."

Members of the AVMA also have access to a toolkit for Check the Chip Day. The toolkit offers resources on stress-free ways to observe the event, posts and images for social media, a newsletter article, a sample proclamation for a mayor or governor, and a sample press release.