June is National Microchip Month. We cannot stress this enough-microchipping your pet is vital, especially when living in Houston. In a 2016 study conducted by Houston PetSet, approximately 84,512 animals went through the Houston shelter system. This cost Houston’s five largest shelters a collective $36,323,500, not accounting for the millions of privately funded dollars raised by hundreds of smaller non-profit animal welfare organizations. Additionally, it is estimated that there are also hundreds of thousands of homeless dogs and cats. In some surveys, Houston residents have reported stray dogs and cats as the most common problem in their neighborhoods, ranking higher than crime, drinking water, pollution and dumping, and creating a quality of life issue for our community.