Lindale Veterinary Clinic
16366 FM 16 West
Lindale, TX 75771
(903)882-3188

Home Again Implant

According to the Humane Society, 1 out of 3 pets is lost during its lifetime, and only 1 in 10 lost pets are ever recovered. Identification tags often get lost or are removed accidentally, or intentionally during theft, but recently a new technology has emerged that has provided a safe, economical, and permanent way to protect against every pet owner's worst nightmare - microchip identification.

What is microchipping? Microchipping is a relatively non-invasive procedure that does not require anesthesia. A small, sterile transponder containing a unique ID code is implanted beneath the animal's skin. The transponder is passive, requiring no batteries, and is capable of being read by any ISO standard scanner. Thousands of animal hospitals, clinics, shelters, and animal control agencies make scanning animals for microchips a standard practice.

What is HomeAgain?
HomeAgain is an advanced pet identification and retrieNo Descriptionval system. A microchip with a unique identification code is implanted between the shoulder blades of the pet. The pet is enrolled with the HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service. HomeAgain maintains a national database and is available 24-hours daily, 365 days a year. When a lost pet is found, it can be scanned at an animal shelter or the clinic of a participating veterinarian. The animal's identification number is called into HomeAgain (1-866-PET-ID24), and the pet owner is notified immediately.No Description

Pets enrolled in the system also receive collar tags to wear with their HomeAgain identification number and our toll-free number. The tags alone help identify lost pets, but tags/collars can come off easily. A microchip provides permanent identification that remains in place.

Who recommends HomeAgain?
A growing number of veterinarians and animal shelters throughout the United States also recommend HomeAgain.

Is there proof the system works?
More than 3,784,072 pets are enrolled with the HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service. HomeAgain is responsible for reuniting more than 329,192 lost pets with their owners.

What if a pet is lost and HomeAgain can't reach the owner?
HomeAgain asks anyone enrolling their pet in the program to provide alternate contacts, which may be relatives or a veterinarian. The HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service will call them if the owner cannot be reached. It also is imperative that pet owners make sure their phone numbers are kept up-to-date with HomeAgain.

How big is the microchip?No Description
About the size of a grain of rice. You cannot see the microchip after it is implanted in the dog or cat.
The microchip - actual length is 11mm

How are pets microchipped?
The procedure is simple and similar to administering a vaccine. The microchip comes preloaded in a sterile applicator and is injected under the skin between the shoulder blades.

Is microchipping safe?
Extensive testing and long-term studies have shown the HomeAgain microchip is safe for pets.

How much does HomeAgain cost?
HomeAgain can be purchased directly from veterinary clinics, where the price may vary. When you purchase HomeAgain directly through your veterinarian, enrollment in the database costs an additional $17.50.

Assistance animals - dogs that assist the handicapped - can be enrolled in the recovery program for free. Some shelters may offer discounts for microchipping to people adopting shelter animals.

Why is microchipping the preferred method of identifying pets?
All pets should wear collar tags imprinted with their name and the phone number of their owner or veterinarian, but tags can come off. Tattooing pets with a number - often the owner's social security number - is another method of identifying pets. 
However, veterinarians and pet rescue experts say tattoos can blur over time, making them difficult to read, and they can be altered. It's possible that duplicate tattoo numbers exist. A microchip provides a permanent form of identification with a unique number that cannot be altered.