It’s National Pet ID Week and the BC SPCA is sharing a heartwarming story along with some unfortunate statistics in an effort to showcase the importance of permanent identification.
The statistics are that over 5,000 lost pets came to the BC SPCA in 2025. Of those animals, around 85% of cats and 40% of dogs were not reunited with their families because they didn’t have permanent identification or the information wasn’t registered or up to date.
“Without permanent identification, it can be extremely difficult, often impossible, to identify a lost pet and reunite them with their guardian,” explained Priscilla Cheung, manager of the BC Pet Registry.
“Collars and tags are important, but they can slip off. Permanent identification like a microchip stays with your pet for their whole life.”
The heartwarming story that backs that claim up is of Mike, a cat who became lost after slipping out the door of his Kamloops home and vanishing on Oct. 7, 2025.
“The family searched for months, frantic to find their beloved cat,” Cheung noted.
Mike’s guardian Nicole walked the neighbourhood shaking bags of treats and calling his name, she asked neighbours to look out for him and posted to local Facebook groups for help.
Despite all her efforts, her beloved cat remained missing until she got the call she had desperately been waiting for on Dec. 5, 59 days after he disappeared.
Mike had been found by a bylaw officer 25 kilometres away from home after crossing bridges and a river. He was brought into the BC SPCA and staff were able to easily get Nicole’s contact information by scanning Mike’s microchip.
“When I got the call, my mind was racing from what to how,” Nicole said. “I didn’t believe it at first. It felt surreal.”
It sounds like a miraculous reunion, but Cheung says it was rather straightforward thanks to Mike’s registered and up-to-date microchip.
“We think Mike must have climbed into a vehicle and unknowingly hitched a ride,” noted Nicole, who says there were plenty of tears and long-awaited snuggles after she got Mike back.
“All of his animal siblings, a cat, a dog and a chicken, were all very happy to have him home again.”
During National Pet ID Week, the BC SPCA and BC Pet Registry are reminding pet guardians to check their microchip registration to verify that the linked contact information is current and accurate.
To learn more about how permanent identification like microchips work, click this link.
