Garth escaped from me last June (07) when a German Shepard (unleashed)came full force at him and grabbed him by his throat. Garth, in shaking his head violently came out of his collar. In a second he was lose and running through Chicago's Lincoln Park. Several people on bikes went to watch where he was running but no one could keep up with him.
The adoption group person told me I do not need to have him chipped because of his tattoos BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had to make 2 trips to Chicago's animal control (over 300 dogs there that day). No Garth. The lady shoving me from room to room (believe me zero assistance) just smirked when I said I have a greyhound and he has tattoos. She said, I quote "tattoos mean nothing to us. We scan the dogs to see if there is a chip, if there is we find the owner, if not then the dog has three days to live, unless the owner claims him/her". A DIRECT QUOTE!
Garth was found by a good samaritan and returned to me that day. He was microchipped a week later at his vet when we went to look at some stitches he needed after the order.
I understand the cancer component but there is little actual data to support it. You cannot begin to know how horrible it is to lose your dog in a city with 4 million people and no idea where to look for him.