Re: Microchips

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

If they have standardized the scanners and requireing them in slaughter
houses, that will help. But most western states are not using them at
checkpoints or at sales barns. Both freeze brands and microchips allow
unique identification, but animals bearing either will be slaughtered if
appropriate paperwork (including the very real possibility of forged bill of
sale) is presented. The security in this system is that records are kept and
the seller must also present personal identification (usually a drivers
license) that allows the possibility of prosecution and or civil remedies in
that case (assuming the driver's license is also real). Ranch brands are
much more problematic becuase they do not identify the individual horse and
the probability of multiple identical ranch brands since each state (and in
some state, each county) can issue a brand.

I am not sure that either are easily altered - at least it will take time
for the scar to heal making quick sales difficult.

Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net

-----Original Message-----
From: guest@endurance.net <guest@endurance.net>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Thursday, April 02, 1998 11:18 PM
Subject: Microchips


>
>
>PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO GUEST@ENDURANCE.NET!!!
>You must post replies to the actual sender listed below.
>
>From: Barney Fleming D.V.M.
>Email: endurancevet@writeme.com
>
>As a avid supporter of microchipping as the best means of positive
identification for your horse or anything for that matter, let me say go for
it.  As of Jan 1996 the USDA approved the use in horses and in doing so made
it a requirement to scan all horses prior to slaughter in USDA slaughter
houses.  All of these houses have been supplied with scanners and if not
scanned and identified then the carcuss will be condemed costing the house
$.  As for brands I believe they are a great deterent to theft but
microchipping is the only unalterable form of positive identification.
Horses with brands are slaughtered with no questions asked.  If you do not
have your horse Microchipped then do so soon.  For a very small fee (less
than branding) you can have a means of positively identifying your horse!!
All brands, papers and photos are duplicatiable and alterable therefore not
positive ID.   Barney
>