All animals adopted from the Whidbey Animals Improvement Foundation are now microchipped, the organization announced this week.

Each microchip contains a registration number and the phone number of the registry. A handheld scanner reads the radio frequency of the chip and displays this information. The foundation (WAIF), or a vet clinic that finds the pet then can contact the registry to get the owner’s name and number, according to a press release.

“Having a pet microchipped can help ensure the chances of having a pet returned to its owner,” WAIF said.

The organization reported findings by Petfinder that one in three pets will become lost at some point in their life.

Microchips are tiny transponders, about the size of a grain of rice that are implanted just under the pet’s skin and have the owner’s information.

Along with microchipping animals, WAIF makes sure that all dogs and cats adopted from the shelter are spayed/neutered and vaccinated.