As part of our No More Lost Pets campaign we are offering FREE ID tags and microchips for all Rohnert Park and Cotati city residents! No appointment necessary.
Download a flyer on this program – post at work or where you shop and help us spread the word! No More Lost Pets Flyer
Tag Machine
The shelter now has an ID tag machine! Come get a personalized tag for only $5 – FREE for Rohnert Park and Cotati residents! Good selection of tag shapes and colors to choose from. Protect your pet and support the shelter!
Microchipping FAQ
The RPAS now offers microchipping as part of the adoption program and also to the public. All animals adopted from the shelter will be microchipped at the time of adoption. This is included in the adoption price and is a great way to reunite you and your pet in case he/she ever got lost.
If you would like to have your pet microchipped, please stop by the shelter during our regular open hours. Free for residents of Rohnert Park and Cotati – only $10 for non-residents. Includes free lifetime access to your information on the website – no fee for changing/updating your personal information. Also gives shelters access to an automated alert system – if your pet ends up in the shelter you will be notified immediately by email, text message and voice message!
- What is a microchip?
- How does the microchip work?
- How long does the microchip last?
- What is the youngest age a pet can be identified?
- My pets never leave my yard, why should they be identified with a microchip?
- Does my pet have to be sedated for the injection?
- Does the procedure hurt my pet?
- Could my pet be allergic to the microchip?
- If my pet is found, how does the shelter know to contact me?
1. What is a microchip?
The microchip is a tiny computer chip which has an identification number programmed into it and is encapsulated within a biocompatible material. The whole device is small enough to fit inside a hypodermic needle and can be simply injected under the skin of our pets, where it will stay for the life of the animal. This provides a permanent, positive identification which cannot be lost, altered or intentionally removed – a safe, simple and inexpensive way to protect your pet against loss or theft.
2. How does the microchip work?
The computer memory in the microchip contains a unique number – no two animals will ever have the same number. A radio signal is used to read this number through the skin of your pet. In addition to the number, the microchip generates a reliability check to guarantee that your pet’s identifying number is read accurately. This all takes place in less than .04 seconds.
3. How long does the microchip last?
Once injected under the skin of your pet, the microchip becomes encased by a thin layer of protein which anchors it in place for the rest of the life of your pet. It does not pass through or out of the body. The microchip itself has no power supply to replace or moving parts to wear down. Therefore it can be expected to last for decades – well beyond the life span of most pets.
4. What is the youngest age a pet can be identified?
Animals of any age can be injected with the microchip. Puppies and kittens are identified during their initial vaccine series. Birds, horses, and exotics can be identified at any time.
5. My pets never leave my yard, why should they be identified with a microchip?
It only takes one time for the mailman, gardener, meter reader, neighbor or friend to leave the gate open or the door ajar. Unaltered pets in particular have a desire to roam. Pet theft is also a daily occurrence. Well behaved pets are sold for research. Animals such as purebreds, birds and exotics are valuable and are stolen for resale. Even horses are frequently stolen and sold for slaughter. Most shelters destroy the majority of pets they impound. They are destroyed only because they are not identified.
6. Does my pet have to be sedated for the injection?
No! Injecting the microchip is just like any other injection or vaccination. Anesthesia is not required or recommended since there is minimal discomfort with the procedure.
7. Does the procedure hurt my pet?
Not at all. The injection creates only a slight discomfort — most pets don’t even react to it. The microchip is encapsulated in a specially formulated biocompatible material created specifically for this kind of application.
8. Could my pet be allergic to the microchip?
The microchip is inert and biocompatible. There is virtually no chance of the body developing an allergy or trying to reject the microchip after being properly injected.
9. If my pet is found, how does the shelter know to contact me?
When a shelter finds a pet with a microchip they check online with a universal database (only a couple chip companies currently do not participate) for your registered information. If the chip is a Found Animal chip we can activate an alert which will immediately send you a text, email and voice message that you pet is at the shelter. That alert repeats daily for 4 days and expands each day to include alternate contacts and veterinarians listed. If your chip is not registered (and why isn’t it? You can register any brand of chip with the Found Animal registry for free at microchipregistry.foundanimals.org) then we will do the best we can to trace your contact information from the implanter.
