Approximately the size of a grain of rice, pet microchips are devices implanted in pets to provide a permanent form of identification through the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) – a one of a kind ID number. RFID is a wireless data collection technology that uses electronic tags for storing data that is used for identification purposes.

More than half (59 percent) of those surveyed about the various microchip systems currently on the market said that they did not know that many of the chips are encrypted and can only be read by proprietary technology.

“We are not surprised by the results of this study. The competing technologies available in the U.S. are providing a false sense of security for pet owners,” said John Snyder, senior director of companion animals and equine protection with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). “If the United States does not adopt a global scanner, pet owners run the risk of losing the beloved pet that the microchip is supposed to protect.”

With an estimated two million cats and dogs in the U.S. currently carrying microchips, many of these ID systems are still encrypted and can only be read by proprietary technology. This means that while a pet owner may have had his/her pet implanted with a microchip, the chip may not be readable by animal shelters or other recovery organizations that only have one scanner.

Additionally, the survey revealed that 88 percent of the population is unaware that microchips implanted in dogs or cats in the United States may not be readable overseas or in Canada, as the U.S. is one of the only countries worldwide that does not use the ISO – International Standards Organization – standard. According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association pet travel rose 33 percent to 20 million – 80 percent of them dogs - in 2004. And, during the spring and summer season, the Travel Industry Association estimates that more than 32 million Americans will be traveling with a family pet, increasing the risk of a pet getting lost in unfamiliar surroundings.

Losing a pet is a significant problem. More than half (53 percent) of respondents have had a pet lost or stolen or know someone who has, and 50 percent of that group indicated that their pets were not found. A microchip can ensure that a dog or cat is returned to its rightful owner, but only if it is readable by the scanner. “Due to the competing technologies being sold in the U.S., a universal scanner, at the very least, is a necessary step that will provide a viable solution to this problem,” said Parvis Hassan-Zade, CEO of DATAMARS SA.

A global scanner that can read all chips is supported by the Coalition for Reuniting Pets and Families (http://www.readallchips.com), whose members include the Humane Society of the United States and the American Veterinary Medical Association, among others. To encourage microchip manufacturers to come to an agreement, a major pet food company has offered to donate 30,000 global scanners to shelters and veterinarians (a substantial $5 million donation) that can only be utilized pending the cooperation of all microchip manufacturers in the United States.