RFID is saving horses lives

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Radio frequency identification microchip (RFID) is a technology allowing a sterile microchip to be planed under the skin, allowing any animal (or human) to be quickly identified by a reading device.  RFID technology is becoming commonplace, and many large corporations are starting to use RFID to monitor and track their product inventory:

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=17501607

RFID technology has saved the lives of hundreds of stolen horses and slaughterhouses are required by-law to see if a horse has an RFID chip implanted under its skin.

The RFID process is quick and painless and Cuddles, (the world’s first Guide Horse) has had an RFID chip with no side-effects.

http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story.asp?StoryId=CqFcmueidD2LYzwXLC3n3B3jSzc1WzxrZ

The chipping of pets and other animals, as the practice is called, is gaining speed as a trend internationally. It is most popular in Europe, where upwards of 25 percent of pet owners in some countries are said to have had veterinarians outfit their beloved beasts with the electronic tracking device.

"This has been adopted overseas -- there are so many players in the marketplace," said Jeannine Taaffe, vice president of marketing for Banfield, a pet health care provider in Portland, Ore., with 400 hospitals and 1,000 veterinarians in the United States, the United Kingdom and Mexico.

Some state animal shelters are also requiring RFID readers:

Veterinarians like the idea of outfitting pets with the RFID devices, and state law in California requires animal shelters to scan all pets for the chips.

Insertion of RFID microchips are required if you travel overseas with a Guide animal, including European Union countries (England, Austria) as well as  New Zealand and the state of Hawaii.  Many guide animals are also marked with tattoo’s, usually inside the ears, to identify their rightful owner.

To-date, no Guide Horses have traveled overseas by air carrier, but the major airlines have no objection with overseas Guide Horse travel, so long as the horse meets all health and safety documentation requirements.
 

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Helping Hooves The Guide Horse Foundation Training Program to Train  Miniature Horses  as Guide Animals for the Blind Janet Burleson ISBN Retail Price $27.95 Order this book now and get 20% off the retail price! Only $19.95 Order Now!   Read the compelling story of the first miniature horse trained to work as a guide horse. Learn the exciting methods used to prepare the tiny horses to perform these amazing services.   A portion of the proceeds from sales will benefit the Guide Horse Foundation.     Quotes:   Janet Burleson is one of the world's pioneering horse trainers – Practical Horseman Magazine   Seeing is believing – USA Today   Janet and Don Burleson are  . . . Angels – People Magazine   How wonderful that Janet and Don Burleson have initiated this valuable experimental program teaming miniature horses with blind people – Newsweek   Miniature ponies are leading the way for the blind – ABC News   Guide Horses  . . . are as small and disciplined as Guide Dogs – TIME Magazine   Extraordinary – ABC 20/20   It is often the little things that win our hearts and minds – ABC News   The Burleson’s are . . . using horse sense to Guide – Boston Globe   Twinkie proved that miniature horses could fill the role, and fill it well – VetCentric Magazine   An Intriguing Program - Discovery Channel