Denver Animal Shelter gives free microchips to cats in July

Cat owners can bring their cats into Denver Animal Shelter (DAS) for a free microchip during the month of July — a service that normally costs $20.

If cats without microchips lose their owners, there is only a two percent chance that they will be reunited with each other, whereas cats with microchips have a 38% chance of finding their owners, according to a study from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

DAS is providing free microchips to help inform cat owners of a microchip’s ability to locate owners when cats go missing and that cat owners take advantage of the opportunity for their cat to get microchipped, according to Melanie Sobel, director of the shelter.

“Microchips are especially important for cats as they are less likely to wear collars,” said a spokesperson for DAS in a news release.

“It’s especially important when cats come in that we can scan the cats right away. People often let their cats wander without collars, and they might not realize that their pets have gone missing until it’s too late,” Sobel told the Denver Gazette in a phone interview.

A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice, and it is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, meaning that microchips only passively store the cat’s identification number, according to an article from Veterinary Centers of America (VCA).

Owners looking to get their cats microchipped at Denver Animal Shelter should bring their cats in carriers.

The actual procedure takes a few seconds because the microchip is implanted in the cat with a needle — a procedure similar to getting a shot, said Sobel.

If a cat gets lost and has a microchip, animal shelter staff members can use the identification number to find the cat owner’s contact information and return the cat to the owner, according to a news release.

“Microchips have been around for a long time,” added Sobel, but DAS decided to offer them for free now because of the rapid increase of pets coming into its shelter.

Nearly 8,700 animals find a temporary home at DAS each year, which is a 30% increase since 2019, according to Sobel.

DAS also reported a 92% increase in owner surrendering, and Sobel speculated that the effects of COVID-19 on the economy and animal shelters might be part of the reason why they are taking in so many animals.

“Since the pandemic, many shelters and places that offered neutering services closed down, and the cost of living has gone up too, so many owners are not able to care for their pets as they once did,” said Sobel.

DAS is also one of the only open-admission animal shelters in Denver, which means that they take in all animals and do not turn anyone away, she said.

The shelter is absorbing the cost for the free microchips, but they did receive a grant from Petco to give free microchips to animals that the shelter reunites with their owners.

Having a microchip to identify cats and return them to their owners is especially important for the upcoming holiday, when shelters see a 30%-60% increase in lost pets from July 4-6, according to American Kennel Club Reunite and Petco Love.

“July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month and the anxiety created around fireworks and loud noises is part of the reason,” said Brandi Munden, a spokesperson for American Kennel Club.

Many pets respond to loud noises by running away in fear, and fireworks are no exception, Munden told The Denver Gazette via email.

Munden provided the following tips for keeping pets safe during the Fourth of July fireworks:

• Create a safe and quiet space for dogs indoors.
• Play white noise—such as the TV, fan, or radio—to help drown out the sound of fireworks.
• If your pets need to be walked, take them outside before the firework shows begin.
• Consult your veterinarian and ask about medications that could help calm pets with severe anxiety.
• Keep your pets’ microchip information up to date in case they get lost.