Microchip and I.D. Questions

Can I obtain an ID tag from the shelter if I don't adopt my animal there?

Absolutely, and we strongly encourage you to do so. We are one of the only animal shelters in the country to make tags available at no charge to the community (although we appreciate a small donation to offset our costs associated with the tag). These tags obtained from us contain a unique animal number, which we enter into our computer system. Whenever animal control officers pick up an animal with one of these tags, we will attempt to contact the owner.

We also sell customizable tags at the shelter: for the low cost of $5.00, you may have a tag printed with your name, address, telephone number, and other information.

For those of you interested in outfitting your pet with a more artistic tag, consider creating an identification tag through www.dogtagart.com

which offers original art designs available from an Asheville-based company. Buy a cool tag from Dog Tag Art and a donation will automatically be made to AHS for every tag! Simply enter the coupon code AHS09 when you place your online order.

 

Why Are Identification Tags So Important?

Less than 3% of the cats that come into our shelter without tags are ever reunited with their owners; less than 15% of dogs without tags are reunited with their owners. Almost 100% of animals with current tags are reunited with their owners.

If you love your pet, tag ‘em!

What does it mean to "microchip" a pet?

Although we strongly encourage every pet owner to obtain a tag for their pet, we recognize that collars can come loose and tags can break off. We therefore provide a microchip for all adoptable animals. Microchips are an effective means to providing identification for your pet and assisting in locating a lost pet. It is best that your pet is both microchipped and wears a collar with a tag. The most common failure of microchips is that the information on file is not correct.  It is extremely important to maintain accurate contact information with both the shelter and the microchip company. 

The microchips we use are made by the 24hrPetWatch company and are smaller than a grain of rice. They are totally inert, and completely harmless. A shelter technician injects the microchip just beneath the animal's skin between the shoulderblades, where it will remain for the life of the animal.

Shelter staff scans every animal that comes through our doors. Each animal is scanned at least twice before it is euthanized or made available for adoption. If a microchip is detected, we will attempt to reunite the animal with its owner.  Once we even returned a cat to its owner in South Dakota, based on the presence of a microchip!

We can provide a microchip for your own animals during most business hours, at a cost of $10.00.