“We have seen a wonderful response to the Operation Chip program with equine organizations hosting Operation Gelding clinics and applying for microchips to be placed into the stallions getting gelded,” said UHC Director Ashley Furst. “By the end of May, we will have had 12 clinics participate in Operation Chip, chipping 240 horses. Based on this, we felt it was appropriate to open up the Operation Chip program to include ‘Chipping Clinics’ for 501(c)(3) rescues wanting to have reliable identification for the horses in their program.”

As with the gelding clinics, there is no cost for the microchip or the registration of the chips, and proof of registration of each chip distributed to the rescue will be required to be submitted to the UHC. Rescues must work with a local veterinarian to insert the microchips. The UHC also encourages organizations applying for the chips to also apply for a universal scanner at a reduced cost of $25 for 501(c)(3) organizations.

Organizations wishing to apply for the chips can find more information on the UHC’s website here: http://www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org/operation-chip/.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact UHC Director Ashley Furst at afurst@horsecouncil.org or 202-846-1607.

About the Unwanted Horse Coalition

The Unwanted Horse Coalition represents a broad alliance of equine organizations that have joined together to educate the horse industry about the unwanted horse issue. The UHC was a direct result of the Unwanted Horse Summit, which was organized by the American Association of Equine Practitioners and held in conjunction with the American Horse Council’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in April 2005. The summit was held to bring key stakeholders together to start a dialogue on the plight of the unwanted horse, defined as any horse no longer wanted by its current owner. Operating under the American Horse Council Foundation, the UHC provides resources to prospective owners, current owners, rehoming facilities, and industry leaders in its effort to encourage responsible ownership.