Microchips are a permanent way of identifying your pet.  A very tiny computerized microchip is placed below the skin between the shoulder blades of dogs and cats and other predetermined areas of other animals.  There is no working or moving part, so the chip can't stop working and the chip is encased in a biocompatible material so there is no tissue reaction or rejection.  If a pet gets lost, animal shelters, humane societies, and veterinarians have scanners that read the number on the chip.  The animals are also identified with a tag alerting the fact that they have a microchip implanted.  When the chip is implanted, information about the animal, the owner, and the veterinarian is sent to a data base maintained by the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Companion Animal Recovery Program. This information is accessible 24 hours a day.