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MICROCHIPPING ALERT


Carolk9s

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I am forwarding this from BELG-L

MICROCHIPPING ALERT------------ PLEASE CROSSPOST WIDELY!!

Microchips from Banfield Hospitals (Petsmart) not read by most
scanners

The Colorado Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and the Denver
Area
Veterinary Medical Society (DAVMS) would like to inform members of a
current animal welfare issue. In February 2004, Banfield pet
hospitals
began implanting a 134-kHz microchip which CANNOT be read by scanners
currently used by most veterinarians and animal care and control
professionals.

The AVID and HomeAgain microchips used in the U.S. operate on a 125-
kHz
frequency, and the manufacturers of these chips have distributed
scanners widely so that the chips can be read (or at least detected
in
some cases due to AVID's encrypted technology) with one scanner.
However, the scanners used to detect AVID and HomeAgain chips CANNOT
read or detect the presence of the 134-kHz chips currently being
implanted at Banfield pet hospitals. Thus, should a pet that has been
chipped with the 134-kHz chip become lost, that animal may not be
able
to be reunited with its owner, and could be adopted out or
euthanized,
depending on shelter circumstances. Pet owners are paying for a
procedure with the expectation that it will provide peace of mind
about the return of their lost animal, but in reality this is not the
case.

The 134-kHz chip from Banfield is compliant with the International
Standards Organization (ISO) standards, and is marketed as the new=20
gold
standard in permanent identification. CVMA and DAVMS leadership
believe, while it may be desirable to transition microchip technology
in the U.S. towards international ISO standards, it is irresponsible
for any business to introduce a microchip that, because of its
frequency, cannot be detected by the scanners currently in place
throughout much of the U.S.

CVMA and DAVMS leadership believe that a responsible product
introduction must include widespread distribution of an effective
scanner BEFORE new chips are implanted in animals. While Banfield has
distributed some scanners, it has not been a robust or effective
effort nor did it address the veterinary requirement for scanners.
According
to Crystal Imports, the distributor of the chipping technology being
sold by Banfield, approximately 600 scanners have been distributed to
shelters nationwide. CVMA and DAVMS leadership estimate the number of
scanners needed to saturate the shelter community in Colorado alone
is
approximately 1,200. This figure does not include Colorado
veterinarians.

Even if Banfield distributes sufficient numbers of scanners for their
chips it would still result in a situation where veterinarians and
shelter personnel would have to scan an animal twice with two
different scanners. CVMA and DAVMS leadership believe a one-scan
"universal scanner" with open technology (no encryption) is the only
solution to this problem.

"We know that the Metro Denver Shelter Alliance, the Humane Society
of
the United States and PETsMART have all asked Banfield pet hospitals
to temporarily stop implanting microchips until this issue can be
resolved," says Jed Rogers, DVM, chair of the DAVMS Animal Issues
Committee. "As of today, there has been no response from
Banfield."...

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has taken a lead in
public awareness on this issue, and disseminated a news release late
last week to media around the country. American Humane has also just
put out a press release. Please see below for a link to each.

For the press release from HSUS, please use the following link:
[url]http://65.61.158.165/ace/20788[/url]

For the press release from American Humane please use the following
link:

[url]http://tinyurl.com/38rqy[/url]

*********Banfield is the Vet chain used in PetSmart********

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Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr... wish I'd have known this last month. My Felix has a Banfeild chip. What am I supposed to do with "my peace of mind" and "sense of security" until this universal scanner is developed (who knows how long before that happens)? And what is Banfeild telling it's patients who already have this chip? Are they offering some form of compensation(sp?)? None of the press releases mentions answers to these questions. All they say is that Banfeild has been asked to stop distributing their chips. That doesn't make ME feel any better.

Sorry, Carolk9s. :oops: I don't mean to upset you. Thank you very much for posting this. With it I'd have gone on thinking that if something happened to Felix I'll get him back no matter what. Now I'm scared to death I won't.

Amanda

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Guest Anonymous

WHEW!!! I just got all my dogs chipped and luckily we got avid chips. I was kinda scared when i read the title of this post.
but still the peace of mind is still only slight as someone can still steal my dog with this chip implanted and they could not be returned. and vets dont randomly scan them for chips... or do they? I mean if someone found my dog they could jsut as easily keep them as thier own. unless they are scanned by a vet or something. anyone know?

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yes, if an individual found your dog, and decided to keep it, it may never get scanned. Vets do scan lost dogs turned in to them, so do some shelters. That's why mine have name tags as well....not that that would stop someone from keeping them if they wanted to...but neither of mine are chipped. I wont chip them until the universal scanner is recognized and in place for everywhere in the country. They need to develop a "Lojack" for dogs.....the polce can send a signal via satellite to the
car with Lojack installed, and pinpoint it...

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Guest Anonymous

I would definately get in on that. People pay th eextra for their cars because of the monetary value, i think people would do it for their pets for emotional value. If there was a system that could give me a pretty strong guarentee, not even 100%, like 80% would work. then I would hop on it in a second. I know what its like to have a dog stolen, Still keeping a vigil for Snow White.... and it sucks, you feel so helpless. So mad and so sad but no one or nothing to direct the emotion at ans you just have to sit on it. Its not somethign i would wish on my worst enemy.

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