Hospital Hours: Monday-Friday: 8am-6pm | Saturday: 8am-4pm
(519) 896-0532
Ten minutes. One small chip. If your pet ever goes missing, this is what can get them back.
A collar tag can fall off. A microchip can't. It sits under the skin for the rest of your pet's life and costs nothing to maintain.
At Kingsdale Animal Hospital, we've been microchipping dogs, cats, and rabbits in Kitchener since the technology became available. If your dog slips out of the yard in Doon or your cat wanders off near Pioneer Park, a microchip is what gets them back to you when their tag is long gone.
The City of Kitchener also requires all dogs to be licensed annually under Bylaw 2014-138. The license tag is the fastest way to get a found dog home. The microchip is permanent ID that can't fall off, so it's the backup when a tag goes missing.
KW Humane Society Data
200%
Microchipped dogs are returned home at more than twice the rate of unchipped dogs.
2000%
Microchipped cats are over 2000% more likely to make it home. Cats rarely wear collars, which makes the chip their only ID.
It's a small RFID chip, about the size of a grain of rice, that sits under the skin between your pet's shoulder blades. The chip stores one thing: a unique 15-digit ID number.
No battery. No GPS. No tracking. It just sits there for life.
When a stray pet shows up at a vet clinic, animal shelter, or the KW Humane Society on Riverbend Drive, staff pass a scanner over the pet. The scanner reads the ID number. One call to the chip registry, and they have your number.
We use ISO standard chips that read on universal scanners across Canada and most of the world. That means it doesn't matter which shelter or clinic finds your pet, they can read the chip.
ISO 15-digit microchip
Compatible with universal scanners at any clinic or shelter in Canada
Implantation by a licensed technician
One-needle injection, no anesthesia required
On-the-spot scan confirmation
We verify the chip reads correctly before you leave
Registration with your contact info
We handle the paperwork so the chip is active immediately
Annual scan at wellness visits
We can easily scan to confirm the chip is still readable
Most lost-pet reunions fail because the phone number on the chip is old. The chip works fine. Nobody can reach the owner.
Update your registration any time you:
Most registries let you update online in under five minutes. The first three digits of the chip number tell you which company holds the registration. If you can't remember which one, bring your pet in and we'll scan and tell you.
Adopted From a Shelter?
Get the chip re-registered to you
If your pet came from a shelter or rescue, the chip may still be registered to them. If your pet goes missing, the call goes to them, not you.
Bring your pet in for a quick scan. We'll read the chip and walk you through updating the registration so the contact on file is you.
Most pets are microchipped young, but it's never too late. Adult dogs and cats can be chipped at any wellness visit.
Puppies & Kittens
Often added at the same visit as the spay or neuter, while your pet is already under anesthesia. Can also be done during any puppy or kitten visit from 6 to 8 weeks of age.
Adult Dogs & Cats
Never too late. We chip adult pets at any wellness appointment. If you're already coming in for the annual exam and rabies vaccine, we can add it to the same visit.
Rabbits & Exotics
Yes, rabbits can be chipped too. We do this routinely as part of rabbit and small mammal care, especially for pets that spend time outdoors.
No. The chip only works when a scanner is passed over it. If your pet is missing, the chip won't tell you where they are. It tells whoever finds them how to reach you. For real-time tracking, you'd need a separate GPS collar.
It feels like a regular vaccination. The needle is a touch wider, but it's over in a second. Most pets don't react at all. No anesthesia needed.
Modern chips are designed to stay in place. Migration and failures are rare. That's why we scan the chip during yearly wellness exams to confirm it's still readable. If a chip ever does fail, we can implant a replacement.
Yes. We use ISO standard 15-digit chips that read on universal scanners. Any veterinary clinic, animal shelter, or animal control office in Canada can detect them, including the KW Humane Society and shelters across Waterloo Region.
Call us at 519-896-0532 for current pricing. We often pair microchipping with other services like spay/neuter or annual exams so it's done in a single visit.
No. The City of Kitchener requires all dogs to be licensed annually under Bylaw 2014-138, but the microchip itself isn't a legal requirement. The license tag and the microchip are two completely separate things. The tag is the fastest way for a Good Samaritan to call the Humane Society and get your dog home. The microchip is permanent ID that stays with your dog even if the collar comes off. Cat licensing is not currently required in Kitchener, though it has been discussed.
Bring them in. We'll scan in under a minute. If a chip is present, we'll give you the number and tell you which database holds the registration. From there, we can help you update the contact info so the chip points to you, not the shelter or previous owner.
