Animal Tagging: Setting Standards for Tagging Pets

Filed in archive Tags and Readers on November 10, 2005

Yesterday, at a business luncheon, someone at the table suggested that the majority of pets in the United States have RFID tags under their skin -- for identification purposes.

However, when I came back today and researched the topic, I could not find any figures suggesting the number is a majority -- yet.

And that makes sense, because the pet owner would have to give permission. For instance, I have never given permission for my two Himalayan cats to have RFID tags inserted in them. You would think the veterinarian would get my permission first, if only to be able to charge me for the procedure! After all, the procedure costs $100 each, and I know I have not overlooked a $200 charge (for two pets) on the vet's bill. So I have to conclude that Sparky and Sheba are "tag free."

In essence, pet tagging is a form of asset tracking. While here in the U.S. we tend to think of our pets as members of the family, in the end pet tagging is all about finding precious things we have lost, before something irreversibly bad happens to them. Such as being euthanized at the local "Animal shelter" if they happen to end up there and are not claimed in time.

In a strange coincidence, I ran across this RFID Journal article today, pointing out that a legislative bill is literally awaiting signature by President Bush, on the subject of pet tagging. The bill would require the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) -- a branch of the the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- to develop regulations allowing for universal reading ability of pet RFID tags. From House Report 109-255:

The conferees support the microchipping of pets for identification under a system of open microchip technology in which all scanners can read all chips. The conferees direct APHIS to develop the appropriate regulations that allow for universal reading ability and best serve the interests of pet owners. The conferees also direct APHIS to take into consideration the effect such regulation may have on the current practice of microchipping pets in this country, and to report to the Committees on Appropriations within 90 days of the date of enactment of this Act on progress toward that end.

A regulation promulgated by APHIS might, for example, require that all tags and readers used for pet tagging operate at a designated frequency, say 125 kHz, the most common frequency for pet tagging.

The bill does not require tagging of pets. It simply would give APHIS the ability to set a standard for how RFID is used in pet tagging.

The Humane Society of the United States supports the bill, according to the article.

Although I am generally opposed to bigger government, and do not like adding on new laws and regulations where none existed before, still it is hard not to support this legislation. It could be your cat or dog someday at the animal pound.