Microchipping the Doggies

[Robb]

Yep. Got an appointment to get them all chipped this week, adding up to something of an investment.

What do you folks think?

[xultar]

1. It is not too expensive @ $50 w/o surgery

It used to be expensive but not any more. some breeders and shelters will do it for free.

[sweetheart]

2. i haven't done it for cost reasons

And i just can't convince my hairy babies that they need circuits inside their bodies.... but likely i'll do it in the coming year, so that we can go to france and switzerland, and return to the UK without quarantine.

I said yes in the poll, but without a compelling need, why?

[VelmaD]

3. Maybe it's just me...

but I think it's creepy. I mean...you wouldn't want someone to put a chip in you for tracking purposes would ya?

I just suppose I'm paranoid. I see them using this application to ease us gradually into accepting the technology, thinking of it as benign. Next thing ya know we've all got homing devices implanted and we don't quite know how it got like that. :tinfoilhat:

[Taeger]

7. Doggie chips don't track

They're not like RFID tags that will go off at 3m or so. You have to put the reader RIGHT UP to the animals neck. Then, you get A NUMBER. The vet or shelter simply REPORTS that number to the HomeAgain service.

The deal with putting chips in KIDS IS SCARRY!!!! I would prefer the finger-printing.

[AndyP]

4. I like voting in polls

Sometimes in between my classes I will just come on and look through all the polls and vote.

Yup I'm a winner all right.:freak:

[Deja Q]

5. Doggies today, store inventories tomorrow, humans the next day...

Wait for the technology to become affordable for everyone. And even then I don't like the idea at all. Especially for humans, it's the antithesis of freedom.

[Catshrink]

6. My cats are all indoor, but they're all chipped.

I realized how important that is when Ricky got out one night (sneaky little monster!). He did return home after a little adventure. But I felt somewhat relieved to know that if he were taken to a shelter or vet's office, the scan would lead them to me.

[ConcernedCanuk]

8. Voted "other"

.
.
.

as in NO

I think it's a dangerous idea

Bet your butt that sooner or later the Homeland Security peeps will want a list of the OWNERS

Bet they already have access to that "neet" feature on alot of the new cars, and know exactly where every car that has one of those "startrackers"(?) is, and who is supposed to be driving them.

Taxicabs are already using them, and so are alot of car rental outfits

and you can bet those databases are "watched" by "big brother"

and who the heck knows what is happening everytime we are put "under" for operations or dental work ?

We'll just never know,

well . .

until it's too late . .

[el_gato]

9. next they'll plant a chip in you

wake up

[GOPisEvil]

10. ...if they haven't already...

:tinfoilhat:

[Robb]

11. So long as they scan me

before they put me to sleep, and call my owner (that would be Mrs. Robb). ;)

[GOPisEvil]

12. How would they know that Mrs. Robb didn't dump you on a roadside?

;-)

[Loonman]

13. Watch out for that CIA mind control beam

:tinfoilhat:

[ProfessorGAC]

14. I Think I Might Do That, But With A Question

What is the reason? Does it include a tracker/finder like on-star or something, or is a matter of being able to ID the pet if somone else claims it's their's?

Given that i can't run, the idea of my doggie getting away from me is always a fear. I think(!) that he would come back if i stopped pursuing him, but if he were to be chasing a squirrel into the woods, who knows.
The Professor

[sweetheart]

15. lost doggies

Over the years, i've tried all kinds of "pet-ID" things. Some cities
(lake forest illinois comes to mind) required me to buy a dog tag
and have my baby permanently collared.

The chip enables the collar to be removed, which my doggies like... as vets and shelters have readers.

I would chip them to take them overseas, as some countries have
long quaranties... even hawaii has a 6 month quarantine per my
last knowledge of the subject... The chip can cut the quarantine
completely as it is considered infallible identification so that a
dog outgoing can come back all known that rabies is protected.

The idea evolves, i think, from normal stock animals... as when a case of mad cow disease comes up, the animal tracking becomes very
very very important, and secure identification critical. In more
worse cases of contageous animal diseases like swine flu, the inability to track fast and precisely can result in mass culls of 100's of thousands of animals. The UK's hoof and mouth disease
outbreak a coupla years back comes to mind.

In short, professor, for a person planning never to take their pet
outside the country, the only reason is collar-less identification.
... and for anyone who's had a puppy gone walkabout and felt the
paranoia of pet kidnapping or that the tag fell off the collar,
the chip is an insurance policy to see your little friend.

I would be so sad for anyone who avoided this procedure and then
lost their little friend... that would be REALLY sad.