PETstock is holding its annual Microchip Blitz in October to lower the cost of the procedure for owners and ensure easy identification for local pets.
The microchipping event will be held on Saturday October 21 and Sunday 22, 2017, at PETstock Bunbury on Strickland Street.
Microchipping at the event will cost $10 per pet, down from the standard rate of $80 per pet.
Owners are encouraged to bring in dogs, cats and small animals. Horses, livestock, birds and reptiles will not be eligible.
A recent PETstock survey of more than 800 pet owners found eight per cent of the respondents had ever been successfully reunited with a lost pet thanks to social media.
The same survey found taking a lost pet to a vet is the most common course of action for the respondents (85 per cent.
PETstock Microchip Blitz National Project Manager Christine Robertson said last year’s inaugural national blitz resulted in 8,210 animals being microchipped.
This year, PETstock is aiming to microchip 10,000 pets.
“Even though microchipping is compulsory in most states, there are still thousands of pets that fall through the cracks,” she said.
“When those animals that aren’t microchipped get lost, the panic that is felt by their pet parents is devastating, especially when they realise that a simple $10 chip could have made all the difference.
“Once microchipped, pets can be tracked down online or through the local vet, so keeping registration details updated is also a must.”
Visit www.petstock.com.au from September 30 to find out if your local store is participating and book a time slot. Times will vary from store to store.