Mac, I'm not the Dr., and I'm sure he'll have a comment or two, but I thought I'd put in my $.02 since we've been dealing with the AVID (American Veterinary I.D.) Microchip company here at the U. of Illinois for 2 years now. I can't speak to the Utah law, or to the cost, as AVID came last year and is coming again in two weeks to supply all vet student's pets with free microchips. I don't think it's probably very expensive. However, I can speak to the practicality and humanity. Practicality -- right now so-so, but for the future, I think it will become more and more common for humane societies especially to own microchip readers and use them to scan the pet for an i.d. I do know that bird vets recommend it as the best way to i.d. your pet. Humanity -- the chip is very tiny and it is implanted with a syringe or gun a lot like an ear piercing gun. The animals seem to object to the restraint more than the implantation. In ferrets, it's done right behind the ear. It is injected in the subcutaneous tissue, where fibrous tissue collects around it and holds it there. It is very safe, very painless, and will be quite effective as more and more places own readers. The chip is encoded with a number that a scanner/reader reads. You then call the microchip company, tell them the number, and they have the owner info right thre -- if I remember correctly there was a space for medical problems, too. It's really a pretty nifty little device, and I hope that it catches on more and more so that all animals are i.d.'d that way. Laura Laura L'Heureux Kupkee U. of Illinois Vet Med `96 [Posted in FML issue 0989]