Let’s Talk About Microchipping

Rah Thomas | May 28, 2025

What does it mean to be vegan? For me, veganism isn’t just a diet—it’s the ethical choice not to exploit animals. The easiest way to determine whether something is exploitation is to ask myself, “Would I want this done to me?” If the answer is no, then I wouldn’t do it. I don’t eat beef burgers not because I’m vegan and I can’t eat meat but because I am choosing not to partake in the exploitation the cow experiences because I wouldn’t want that done to me.

Sometimes this brings us to grey areas in life. We often come across moral dilemmas that put us in uncomfortable places. A recent instance in my life was the decision of whether or not to have my puppies microchipped. Now, I know for many people this isn’t even a second thought. They think, of course they should be chipped so they can be scanned at any veterinarian, shelter, or clinic they may come across. But would I want it done to me? No, I absolutely do not want to be microchipped. I don’t care if I could open doors or pay for meals with a swipe of my hand. I don’t want someone to be able to track my movements or know where I came from if I traveled somewhere else. So is it right to do it to a being in my care?

This is where my moral compass starts to wobble. On one hand, it isn’t something I would want done to myself or would even subject my own human children to. On the other hand, I plan to travel with my dogs and take them on many other adventures with me, and knowing that a simple chip could help ensure that they find their way home if they were ever lost is a comforting thought rather than an uncomfortable one. In fact, it is a more comfortable thought than having them tattooed, which is another option for permanent identification.

There are many benefits to microchipping your animal companions. It is permanent identification for the lifetime of your companion that cannot be easily removed or altered. Even if your dog loses their collar or even if your cat doesn’t wear one, a microchip is always there with your contact information. Your information is private, unlike anything on a dog tag. The obvious benefit is a greater likelihood of being reunited if you were ever to get separated. Even something as simple as going for a walk in your neighborhood could result in displacement. It could happen to anyone. You both get startled by a car, your dog pulls and you drop the leash, and they run away scared. They turn the corner and you don’t see them anymore. You call, but they’re so scared that they keep running and don’t hear you. After hours of searching, you get a call from a local vet: Someone found Toto, and after a simple scan, they have your number, and you can go pick him up. Microchipping is a relatively simple procedure with few complications. There could be some inflammation around the injection site or the possibility that the chip could migrate. These don’t cause permanent harm to your companion, and many people who scan for chips know this and will scan a larger area. I have personally scanned dogs and know it’s a pretty easy procedure to find the chip.

So to wrap up my moral dilemma, I came to the conclusion that while it isn’t something I would choose for myself, I am not exploiting my dogs by having them microchipped. They are chipped out of the care and love I have for them, to ensure that if for any reason they would ever get misplaced, whoever finds them has a better chance of knowing they are missed from their loving home. June is National Microchipping Month. Have you decided to microchip your animal companions?

Let’s Talk About Microchipping

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