The Pet Identification and Unified Data Storage Microchip System and Mobile Application will be implemented in Iloilo City “to promote responsible pet ownership and reduce the number of stray animals.”
This “pro-animal initiative,” according to City Veterinarian Dr. Suzette Leal, will establish a permanent and tamper-proof electronic digital documentation on pets.
Under the system, microchips about the size of a rice grain will be implanted under the skin of dogs, cats and other pets.
“It can only be injected by a licensed veterinarian or trained veterinary technician. It is injected under the skin, normally implanted between the shoulder blades of the animal,” Leal said.
“It is not a tracking device and do not work like Global Positioning Devices (GPS). It has no battery and does not require a power source like a GPS. It is a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) that provide permanent ID for pets,” she emphasized.
The electronic device contain information about the owners and pets.
“A scanner is required to read the microchip and once the ID number is transmitted, the pet’s owner info will be known and the pet will be reunited to its rightful owner,” Leal said.
The use of microchip implant will be piloted in seven flood-prone barangays in the city with the most dog population.IMT
