Banfield, The Pet Hospital(R) announced today that it is sending out letters to all customers who bought microchips from them that these chips may not help pet owners retrieve their lost pets. Banfield has several vet clinics set up in PetsMart stores all across the country.

The problem is that these microchips cannot be scanned by many animal shelters and rescues in the United States due to the fact that Banfield's chip operate on a different frequency. Even though the microchips are endorsed by the International Standards Organization (ISO), they operate at 134.2 kHz as opposed to the 125 kHz microchips that most shelters and rescues are accustomed to using.

Banfield's press release suggests that the problem lies with the fact that these shelters and rescues get their scanners for free from competing microchip companies.

"As veterinarians, we feel very strongly about making sure all of our clients have the most up-to-date information regarding their Pet's microchip and we will continue to do whatever we can to help reunite lost Pets with their families, including pushing for needed improvements in the U.S. microchip system," said Dr. Scott Campbell, a veterinarian who is chairman and CEO of Banfield, The Pet Hospital. "At this time, the microchip system doesn't work and it's a sad fact that many Pets with any type of chip are euthanized when they are lost We believe that all scanners should read all microchips, that the microchips themselves must work better, and that microchips should not be encrypted. It is just as important for the companies maintaining databases of chip registrations to make sure it's easy and affordable for Pet owners to keep their Pet's microchip registrations current, and that microchips be priced more affordably so more families can get microchips for their Pets."

Banfield uses the 134.2 kHz frequency chips because they have been endorsed as an ISO standard, and are widely used in other countries. "Right now, Avid identification Systems, Inc.(R) lawsuits are getting in the way of the best interests of lost Pets," said Dr. Campbell. "Avid should sell their truly universal scanners and the international standard chip in the U.S. market like they do in other countries."

Avid is the main competitor to Banfield's microchip sales. The scanners Avid sells in the U.S. do not detect 134.2 kHz chips that Banfield uses. Avid produces a universal scanner that can scan chips at any frequency, and distributes them in other countries where the 134.2 kHz is popular. However, it doesn't offer those scanners here in the United States where 125 kHz is most popular.

For more information about the current state of microchips in the United States visit the Coalition for Reuniting Pets and Families, online at http://www.readallchips.com.