BREW started microchipping all of our dogs in 2001. Over the past 6 years, this decision has paid off in dividends.

We would chip the dogs and register BREW as the alternate/emergency contact. Many times the chip would not actually get registered by the adopters, but BREW would still get called if a BREW beagle showed up in a shelter. We figured out that the shelter would call HomeAgain to check on the chip’s contact info – and they could track that BREW purchased the box of chips originally. While the owner wouldn’t be known, BREW could still go in and rescue the beagle from the shelter.

Pedro
One example was Pedro from 2006. Pedro was adopted out in 2002 and BREW thought all was well. One day in the Fall of 2005, BREW got a call that one of our beagles was in the Prince William County, VA shelter. The microchip had never been registered to the adopter but BREW was tracked down as the purchaser of the chip. Pedro waited out his stray period at the shelter hoping his human would claim him, and on the first day we could, BREW was there to get him.

Despite significant efforts to track down his owner (we did have contact info on him from his contract), we were unable to find him. So Pedro became available for adoption and was adopted by a wonderful couple – Pedro is now sailing on the weekends and just relaxing at home on weekdays – ALL thanks to a microchip.

Mystery

Mystery is another example of a microchip saving a life. Mystery, as we learned later, was a “frequent flyer,” a dog who got away from his humans quite frequently. Since he always came back, the family never looked for him, trusting that he’d return eventually. The last time he got away he didn’t go back home; he was picked up by Animal Control. He was found running with a choke collar but no identification.

As he waited for his humans to reclaim him, the staff at the shelter realized he was chipped (they scan every incoming dog for a chip) and found that BREW had purchased the chip (once again, the family did not register the chip with their information). They called us and after the stray period was up and we scooped him up. Mystery’s life was saved by that chip – since his humans didn’t bother to search for him, he was slated for euthanasia at the end of the stray period.

Tale of the Tape

These are only two examples of how microchips have directly helped BREW beagles – we don’t know how many beagles were saved when their owners were contacted (not BREW) when they went missing. The things to take away from this story:

• Microchip your dog if he/she isn't already!
• If your dog is chipped – make sure the chip is registered to you!
• Change the info every time you move or change phone numbers!
• If you adopted from BREW, you can list BREW as the emergency contact if you want.
• You can let BREW know of your new contact info if you’d like.