Standardizing microchips

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, September 2004:

ORLANDO–Iams company spokesperson Kelly Vanasse, addressing
the 2004 Conference on Homeless Animal Management & Policy in
Orlando, Florida, announced on August 22 that Iams is prepared to
donate 30,000 microchip scanners to humane societies, animal control
agencies, and veterinarians throughout the U.S.–if the makers will
cooperate to produce a scanner that reads both the 125-kilohertz
chips that are most used in the U.S. and the 134-kilohertz chips that
are recommended by the International Standards Organization.
The 125-kv chips are made by Avid Identification Systems and
Digital Angel Inc., and are used by the Schering Plough Animal
Health “Home Again” program. The 134-kv ISO chips are distributed in
the U.S. by PetHealth Services and Crystal Tag. The latter is the
chip provider to Banfield, The Pet Hospital Inc., but Banfield has
suspended microchipping pets until it is convinced that an adequate
number of 134-kv scanners are in use in the U.S. to make the program
effective.
Avid has sued PetHealth Services and Banfield, and has been
countersued by PetHealth acting through the Coalition for Reuniting
Pets & Families, over issues including alleged patent infringement,
unfair competition, and false advertising.
Vanasse told ANIMAL PEOPLE that the Iams proposal could be
worth about $5 million in equipment costs to the humane community,
and that the scanner purchases could be allocated among the various
chip makers so that each gets a fair share of the income.