For National Chip Your Pet Month, nonprofit offers clinics on Fridays from 2-4 p.m.

ATASCADERO — In honor of National Chip Your Pet Month, Woods Humane Society announced six free microchip clinics to help members of the public protect their pets. The free clinics will be held on Fridays from 2 to 4 p.m. on May 19 at the Woods North County location in Atascadero. 

“A microchip is a tiny, affordable, and incredibly simple tool, yet it can make all the difference if your pet becomes lost at any point in its life,” says Woods Interim CEO Emily L’Heureux. “Without one, your chances of being reunited with a lost pet are much slimmer.”

The American Humane Association estimates that only 15 percent of lost dogs and 2 percent of lost cats in shelters without ID tags or microchips are reunited with their owners.

“As we approach the summer months, and in advance of Fourth of July fireworks, it is crucial that pet owners protect their pets by microchipping and making sure their microchip registration is up to date with current contact information. We hope these free clinics give more pet owners access to these potentially life-saving devices.”

The nonprofit animal adoption center says that microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and are implanted just under the skin. Each chip contains a unique code that can be easily scanned by a vet or an animal shelter employee and matched against an identification database online. Microchips normally cost $20 at Woods Humane Society, but the fee has been waived for participants of the May microchip clinics thanks in part to the support of microchip company 24PetWatch.

Local pet owners can make an appointment to get their pet microchipped for free on Friday, May 19, from 2 to 4 p.m. at its Atascadero location.

For more information, visit SpaySLOCounty.com or call (805) 543-9316. Woods Humane Society is located at 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo, and at 2300 Ramona Road, Atascadero.