The West Lafayette City Council has passed an ordinance mandating that any animal coming to a shelter be implanted with a microchip. The chips work as a kind of barcode that can be scanned by shelter employees when an animal is lost or injured. Almost Home Humane Society executive director Stacy Rogers says the Humane Society has implanted more than 12,000 microchips in the past nine years. She believes that is directly related to West Lafayette’s high, 87-percent return-to-owner rate for lost dogs. “When they are found, they can be back to their owner right away and especially if they arrive injured. We get all of the injured pets – if your pet gets out and it’s hit by a car, Purdue is going to scan your pet for a microchip immediately, she says. “So, that’s going to be the fastest way to ensure that you get to choose the treatment path for your pet if it’s hurt.” Rogers says the ordinance will help keep the return rate high, since 20-percent of lost pets will eventually get lost
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