Washoe County Regional Animal Services has extended its free microchipping campaign for an additional two years. Washoe County pet owners may microchip their pets for free at animal services through January 2016.

Because microchips have proven themselves as invaluable to their mission, Regional Animal Services initiated a yearlong free microchipping campaign in January 2013. The campaign’s goal was to microchip 5,000 pets by the end of January 2014.

The goal was exceeded by well more than 2,000 pets.

A microchip is a small, electronic chip enclosed in a glass cylinder about the size of a grain of rice. The microchip is activated by a scanner that receives an identification number which is linked to the pet owner’s contact information stored in the Animal Services’ database.

For more information, go online.