Big Brother IS Watching

The whole micro chip idea sounds so warm and fuzzy, absolutely the only solution if your dog should go missing but have you considered the down side to these invasive little pieces of technology?

1. CHIP IMPLANTS LINKED TO ANIMAL TUMOURS - Saturday 8th September 2007 the Washington Post reported:
   
   
   
   1. "The transponders were the cause of the tumors," said Keith Johnson, a retired toxicologic pathologist, explaining in a phone interview the findings of a 1996 study he led at the Dow Chemical Co. in Midland, Mich.
   2. Dr. Cheryl London, a veterinarian oncologist at Ohio State University, noted: "It's much easier to cause cancer in mice than it is in people. So it may be that what you're seeing in mice represents an exaggerated phenomenon of what may occur in people." Tens of thousands of dogs have been chipped, she said, and veterinary pathologists haven't reported outbreaks of related sarcomas in the area of the neck, where canine implants are often done. (Published reports detailing malignant tumors in two chipped dogs turned up in AP's four-month examination of research on chips and
      health. In one dog, the researchers said cancer appeared linked to the presence of the embedded chip; in the other, the cancer's cause was uncertain.) Nonetheless, London saw a need for a 20-year study of chipped canines "to see if you have a biological effect." Dr. Chand Khanna, a veterinary oncologist at the National Cancer Institute, also backed such a study, saying current evidence "does suggest some reason to
      be concerned about tumor formations."
2. MICROCHIPS AND CANCER - antichips.com
   
   
   
   1. In almost all cases, the malignant tumors, typically sarcomas, arose at the site of the implants and grew to surround and fully encase the devices. These fast-growing, malignant tumors often led to the death of the afflicted animals. In many cases, the tumors metastasized or spread to other parts of the animals. The implants were unequivocally identified as the cause of the cancers.

The above are but two examples and one of many strong enough arguments NOT to microchip your dog. Unfortunately the law makers do not listen to the evidence but rather give in to the political pressure from vested interest groups such as the RSPCA, all too quickly.
Effective 1st May 2008 no council in Victoria will register your dog unless it is micro chipped under the requirements of legislation. This means all dogs 3 months or older seeking to be registered for the first time MUST be micro chipped.
The second and equally as strong an argument is the fact the BIG BROTHER knows where you are at all times. You move, you notify to update your contact details for your dog/s and BINGO, 'they' know where you are.
Keeping dogs safe has always been a matter of education.
Micro chipping only works for the animals that are micro chipped not for those that are not and so the big question remains HOW DOES MANDATORY MICRO CHIPPING ADDRESS THE SO CALLED PROBLEM OF HOMELESS DOGS?
Perhaps a bigger question is WHY IS MICRO CHIPPING WRITTEN INTO LEGISLATION?
Big Brother IS watching!