August 6, 2026 · 0 Comments
By Sam Odrowski
The Ontario SPCA’s Orangeville and District Animal Centre is offering pet owners a chance to have their animals microchipped at no cost this month.
The free microchip clinic will take place Aug. 14 and 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Orangeville Train Station, located at 49 Townline.
The clinic aims to make basic pet identification more accessible while improving the chances that lost animals will be reunited with their families.
“Our goal is to make basic veterinary care more accessible for our community by reducing financial barriers that may prevent people from microchipping their pets,” said Shannon Bury, community outreach coordinator with Ontario SPCA’s Orangeville and District Animal Centre.
“By hosting a free microchip clinic, we want to help improve the chances of lost animals being reunited with their families.”
The clinic has been made possible through the donation of 100 24Petwatch microchips from PetPlace. The Town of Orangeville is also providing the SPCA with free use of its train station to host the event.
Registration is required, with appointments limited to 50 microchips per day. Pet owners will select a one-hour arrival window and may arrive at any time during that period. Pets will be assisted on a first-come, first-served basis during their selected time slot.
Walk-ins may be accommodated if space permits, but registration is encouraged.
A microchip is a permanent form of identification that can help reunite lost pets with their owners when scanned by a veterinarian, animal shelter or municipal animal control service.
Bury said one common misconception is that microchips can track a pet’s location.
“Microchips cannot be used as a tracking device,” she said. “They are a form of identification that can be checked with a microchip scanner by a veterinarian or animal shelter.”
Microchip implantation is also a simple procedure, Bury said, comparing it to receiving a vaccination.
“They are as small and thin as a grain of rice and are easily implanted without anesthesia,” she said.
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society reunited 679 animals with their families last year, including 24 through the Orangeville and District Animal Centre. Bury said many of those reunions are made possible because of microchip identification.
She noted pet owners should ensure their contact information is kept up to date with the microchip company.
The local animal centre recently reunited a lost dog with its family after discovering the dog’s microchip information was outdated. Staff contacted the breeder listed on the chip, who helped connect them with the dog’s owners.
Bury said the case showed both the value of microchips and the importance of keeping registration information up to date.
“Microchipping is a reliable, permanent, one-time procedure that helps give you peace of mind for your furry friend’s lifetime,” she said.
To register for the free clinic, visit:
ontariospca.ca/orangeville