By Liz O'ConnellShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA phone call between a veterinarian and a cat’s former owners—triggered by a routine microchip scan—led to a shocking resolution that left Instagram users up in arms
Krista Magnifico, veterinarian and owner of Jarrettsville Veterinary Center in Maryland, told Newsweek via Instagram that her team calls numbers linked to microchips "almost weekly" in hopes of reuniting pets with their families. It's one of the reasons she strongly advocates for microchipping.
The American Animal Hospital Association noted that microchips offer long-term identification, since collars and tags can be lost or removed. Plus, pets with microchips are more likely to be reunited with their owners. Dogs are returned at a rate of 52.2 percent, compared to the 21.9 percent for those with no microchips. For cats, it is 38.5 percent versus only 1.8 percent.
In a September 7 Instagram video posted to her account @kmagnifico, Magnifico called the number linked to a stray cat's microchip after his new owners brought him in for a vet visit. She wanted to inform the original family that their cat, previously named Prince, had been found. They were thrilled, but after hearing how happy he seemed, they surprisingly told Magnifico the finders could keep him.
...Instagram users rushed to the comments, sharing their disappointment in both the cat's previous owners, unsure why they wouldn't reclaim their fur baby, and why the new caretakers waited years to check for a microchip.
"I would be grateful, but I also want her back," said one viewer, while another added: "If someone had my pet for years and never bothered to check, I would be furious. And I want it back."
Magnifico said in a comment that Prince—now named Willow—was originally found as a stray. The first owners took him in and had him neutered and vaccinated. They tried to acclimate him to indoor life, but he felt safest and happiest when outside, leading him to wander. They spent months searching for him.
The feline made himself a new home in a barn miles away, per the comment. His new caretakers spent months trying to capture him before he eventually began to trust them. They began treating him as their own.
"He came to us years ago for an illness visit," Magnifico's comment read. "He was either not scanned at the time, or we didn't see the chip. At this last visit, we did find a chip..."
As soon as they found the microchip, Magnifico did her due diligence by informing the previous family. However, they thought what was best for him was staying put.
"They get he was happier there," Magnifico said. "And the original family had gotten new cats when they felt he wasn’t going to return."
Magnifico calls this situation a happy ending for all parties involved, citing the "magic of microchip." His previous family no longer has to worry about what might have happened. And the owners who found him, cared for and fell in love with him, can keep him.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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