If you've ever lost a pet and had a difficult time finding him/her you may want to consider attending the microchipping clinic this Sunday, July 23, at Little Critters, near Shelburne.

"Anyone who's ever lost a pet will automatically understand," explained Carola Little, one of the owners of the facility, as to why someone would want their pet to have a microchip.

Instead of spending hours on the phone calling all the veterinary clinics and humane societies in the area trying to locate your lost pet, the clinic that found him/her will be trying to contact you, Ms. Little said.

The microchip is embedded into the scruff on the dog's neck and when it is scanned a bar code comes up that the vet will enter into a system. As long as the dog is registered all the information about it, such as the owner's name, address, phone number and any medication the pet may be on will be displayed.

Ms. Little said this is better then a regular collar identification tag because when most dogs get lost they tend to also lose their collar.

The clinic will be running from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

with a cost of $30 per pet. The shop was able to purchase the microchips at cost and therefore any proceeds will be donated to the Orangeville branch of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA).

The shop near Honeywood has 50 acres around it with walking paths, so that the animals can be busy if there is a line-up.

"The more pets microchipped the more we keep safe," said Ms. Little.

Little Critters is located at 58093 Second Line West of Mulmur. For directions you can call 925-1534 or visit visit www.littlecritters. info