Pet identification microchips remain optional for DeKalb County pet owners, but future growth may lead the county to follow the emerging precedent.

Cook County adopted mandatory pet identification microchips for all dogs, cats and ferrets on Feb. 25.

Veterinarian George Balster of Bethany Animal Hospital in Sycamore said there are no immediate plans to implement mandatory electronic tags for pets, but it may be adopted eventually.

DeKalb Animal Control Warden Janet Ott said the density of people in DeKalb County in comparison to Cook County is not yet large enough to warrant such a requirement.

However, Ott did not rule out the measure if county growth persists and may begin instituting microchip clinics in the future.

The microchips usually are placed into the animals during neutering operations, Balster said. The chip is injected under the skin with a sterile needle, usually between the shoulder blades. There have been no infections or irritation problems reported yet, Balster said.

The chip is read with a scanner, which produces a reference number, Ott said. The staff calls the manufacturer of the chip and gets the identification of the pet’s owner.

Chips have been around for the past few years, and all vets and hospitals in the area have the chip reading technology, Ott said.

The procedure has become quite common and is recommended by DeKalb Animal Control and area animal hospitals.

Pet owners can register their pets for microchips through the DeKalb Animal Control office. A one-time fee runs about $15, Balster said.

“We have administered the procedure to cats and dogs, but mainly into dogs because they’re usually running outdoors and can get lost a lot easier than cats,” Balster said.

Ott estimated there are about 10,800 registered dogs in DeKalb County and said the injections will be mainly for dogs because of their sheer volume.

Balster said he thinks the microchip technique is the best way to identify lost pets and that more people are taking advantage of the benefits.