Backing a national coalition's efforts to help animal shelters and veterinarians reunite lost pets with their owners, The Iams Co. (Dayton, Ohio) said it will award contracts for at least 10,000 universal microchip scanners from each of up to three manufacturers.

Iams plans to donate 30,000 scanners-worth about $5 million-to shelters, animal control officers and veterinarians throughout the United States, according to Jeffrey P. Ansell, president of Iams.

"Iams is a pet well-being company, and solving the long-standing dilemma of pet microchip readability in the United States will truly save pets' lives," Ansell said. "The Coalition for Reuniting Pets and Families has embarked on a much-needed and worthwhile journey, and Iams has high energy to make a difference in solving this serious problem. Our request for proposals offers all manufacturers an opportunity to embrace the coalition's proposed solution. Any manufacturer can be part of this solution."

Because universal scanner technology exists in other countries, there are no barriers to prohibit any major pet microchip or scanner manufacturer from responding to the request, Ansell added.

"Shelters, veterinarians and animal control officers must have the ability to detect all identification chips with one scanner," said Sue Richey, executive director of the American Kennel Club's Companion Animal Recovery (Raleigh, N.C.) and a spokesperson for the Coalition for Reuniting Pets and Families. "The proposed scanner solution will make that possible."

The incompatibility between commonly used microchip scanners and some new microchips came to light after approximately 380 Banfield Pet Hospitals inside PetsMart stores began using ISO microchips by The Crystal Import Corp. (Pelham, Ala.), and facilities in Wisconsin began using ISO microchips by Allflex USA Inc. (Dallas).

The Crystal and Allflex microchips operate on the 134-kilohertz radio frequency, while Avid microchips made by Avid Identification Systems Inc. (Norco, Calif.) and HomeAgain microchips marketed by Schering-Plough Animal Health Corp. (Union, N.J.) operate on the U.S. standard 125-kilohertz frequency. The 134-kHz chips cannot be read by scanners in place in most shelters, humane societies and veterinary clinics in the United States.

For more information, visit www.readallchips.com. [November 2004 PET AGE]

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