Learn something from the launching of free city-wide pet micro chipping project in Makati.
Makati City recently launched its city-wide pet micro-chipping program at Makati Session Hall. The microchips are for the purposes of animal identification, pet recovery, and rabies prevention.
Dr. Jun Punzalan, managing director of Plaridel Products & Services, explained the technology and added that Makati City is the first local government to implement this project in South East Asia.
The PET I-CHIP is a permanent microchip technology enclosed in a small glass cylinder which is no longer than a grain of rice. The microchip utilizes RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) technology that reads its ID number through radio frequency. The microchip is implanted by an authorized veterinarian between the animal’s shoulder blades using a syringe-like dispenser.
The microchip contains a unique 15-digit code that will give authorities access to the pet’s breed and description, health and immunization history, and the contact details of the registered owner. This will also help the VSO (Veterinary Services Offices) to closely monitor and check the number of animals which have already been vaccinated with anti-rabies shots.
In addition to the microchips, the VSO will also be providing “Pet Passports” which will assist owners who travel with their dogs.
Training sessions have been held with barangay officials on the use of the Bio-Thermo scanners. The Makati City Government has issued more than 35 scanners with a microchip that will sense the temperature of the animal and help each barangay to have a system of verification.
The initiative is in line with Makati City mayor Abby Binay’s vision for a rabies- free Makati; not only is it a vaccination identification monitoring program, it’s also a campaign to encourage awareness of pet welfare, the need for pet recovery, and responsible ownership among pet lovers. It is hoped that the program will eventually help reduce the number of redundant rabies vaccinations for pet animals as well as humans. It will also be a great help in assisting with the transport and rescue of animals.
(Additional information and photos courtesy of the Makati ICRD and PLARIDEL Products & Services, Inc.)
This story appeared in Animal Scene’s December 2017 issue.
