The LifeCHIP is a transponder the size of a grain of rice, etched with a ten-digit ID code, attached to a miniature antenna, and sealed in a glass capsule. It has been "painlessly" (to quote the manufacturer) implanted under my pet cat's skin. More than 3 million other pets share Cheetah's cyborg characteristics. Now animal shelters, dogcatchers, veterinarians, and in fact anyone armed with the proper scanner (US$300) can scan Cheetah like a loaf of bread at the super- market. After a quick phone call to Destron - who will query the LifeCHIP database - your Cheetah will be on its way home to you.
Of course, a few see Life-CHIPs as unconstitutional ("Surely it is every creature's right to run away from home," said one) or even unconscionable ("God's innocent critters, their very bodies invaded with man's techno- demons," said another). But most of the pet owners and all of the veterinarians I talked to agreed that the LifeCHIP represents high-tech progress at its best, saving animal lives and minimizing animal owners' anguish.
LifeCHIP: US$20-30. Destron/IDI: (800) 328 0118, +1 (612) 455 1621.
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