Thousands of pets become lost every day, and microchip identification is the one reliable way to reunite these lost pets with their owners. The procedure is safe, easy, inexpensive, and practically painless. The microchip itself is about the size of a grain of rice. It contains a tiny metallic "bar code" surrounded by an inert membrane which makes it non-reactive when it is placed under the skin. The microchip is injected under the skin between the shoulder blades with a hypodermic-type syringe. If the pet becomes lost, all animal care facilities (shelters, veterinary hospitals, pounds, etc) will scan the pet for a microchip, using a special microchip reader that is simply waved over the skin. Once a microchip is found, a special hotline is called, and the lost pet is reported. The pet owner is then called immediately and given the contact information about where to pick up their pet.