HAWAIIAN HUMANE SOCIETY Natasha Adanya's oldest son, Christian, right, vaguely remembers the family dog named Mooshu, who was lost for five years. They all came to the Humane Society to claim their dog, identified by his microchip ID.

Cost of pets’ microchip
IDs is cut to $5 during
August

Cheyenne, a cat missing from Florida seven years ago, was found on the streets of San Francisco in April and reunited with her owner on national television. The only way this happy connection could have been possible was through the cat's microchip ID.

The Hawaiian Humane Society is making it easy for Oahu dogs and cats to receive microchip IDs during August. All month long, participating veterinary clinics from Hawaii Kai to Waianae will provide chips for just $5, normally $25 or more.

GET CHIPPED These veterinary clinics will implant a chip in your pet for $5 through Aug. 31: » Aina Haina Pet Hospital, 373-2111 » Blue Cross Animal Hospital, 593-2532 » East Honolulu Pet Hospital, 396-3333 » Hawaii Kai Veterinary Clinic, 395-2302 » Island Veterinary Care, 944-0003 » Kalihi Pet Clinic, 841-6313 » Kapalama Pet Hospital, 841-2861 » Kokua Pet Clinic, 843-8382 » Makai Animal Clinic, 262-9621 » Newtown Veterinary Clinic, 488-3667 » Ohana Veterinary Hospital, 845-1762 » The Animal Clinic, 734-0255 » The Cat Clinic, 732-8884 » The Pet Doctor 733-8828 » VCA Family Animal Hospital, 484-9070 » Wahiawa Animal Hospital, 621-7000 » Waianae Veterinary Clinic, 696-4161 » Waipahu-Leeward Veterinary Clinic, 671-4095

In a unique partnership with the Hawaiian Humane Society, 18 veterinarians are waiving the cost of the doctor's visit so that pets can receive the chip that identifies them for a lifetime. Collars and tags can be lost, but the microchip ID provides permanent identification and proof of ownership.

All animals entering Hawaii through the quarantine process and many responsible breeders use the chips to identify their animals. More than 5,000 animals were returned to their owners on Oahu last year by the humane society, many thanks to microchip ID.

The chip itself is tiny, but powerful and permanent, only about the size of a grain of rice. In a process similar to a vaccination, the microchip is injected under the skin between the animal's shoulder blades. Each chip's individual code can be read with a scanning device carried by all humane society investigators, at its adoptions and incoming-animals desks, and at most veterinary clinics. When the animal is scanned, the unique code is tied to the owner in the humane society's database, a list of more than 100,000 animals.

"Keeping the owner's contact information up to date is an important part to the happy reunions," said Pamela Burns, humane society president. "We encourage everyone who has a pet with a microchip to keep their address and phone numbers current."

Pet owners should update their information whenever they move or change phone numbers, using a form available at the veterinary clinics listed below, at the humane society and online at www.hawaiianhumane.org (to "News and Events," then the calendar of events, and click on the microchip item).

Natasha Adaniya did not update her pet's microchip information after she moved, but thanks to a little luck, her dog Mooshu was returned to her five years later. The cute Pomeranian mix was brought to the humane society last Thanksgiving as a stray. A scan of Mooshu revealed his microchip ID number, which showed he had been adopted from the society. The phone number listed with the chip belonged to an old acquaintance of Adaniya's who still lived at that address.

HAWAIIAN HUMANE SOCIETY The tiny chip is implanted by a veterinarian in a simple procedure similar to a vaccination. During August this little miracle costs $5 and takes about five minutes.

Along with her family, Adaniya arrived at the shelter on Nov. 28 to reclaim the long-lost dog. Her oldest son, Christian, vaguely remembered Mooshu after five years.

"My birthday was just two days ago -- this is the best present!" said Adaniya. "Our family has been talking about getting a dog recently, and now we have our little Mooshu back again. It's a miracle."

It's easy to overlook the updating of microchip information in the upheaval of moving, but a correct address and phone number makes the reunion possible should your pet become lost. Registration of your pet's microchip in the Oahu database is a free service of the Hawaiian Humane Society.

"It is heartbreaking for our staff to find an animal who we know is someone's treasured pet, but we can't reunite them due to incorrect information," said Burns. "We encourage everyone with an unidentified dog or cat to get the $5 microchip ID during August, plus update the information for those who are already chipped."

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