Pet owners of Little Elm are in line to get something valuable for free: Texas Coalition for Animal Protection (TCAP), Friends of the Little Elm Animal Shelter (FLEAS), and Hula Hut of Little Elm are partnering on an event to provide free microchips for cats and dogs.

Microchips are a method to identify your dog that is tamper-proof. A pet microchip is the size of a grain of rice, and goes beneath your pet's skin.

If pets get lost, a vet can check the microchip with a scanner. Radio waves put out by the scanner activate the chip. The chip transmits the ID number to the scanner, which displays the number on the screen. The pet can be reunited with its owner.

"Microchips work!" proclaims one DFW-area shelter, citing the latest example, stating, "Today we picked up a pug running stray. We scanned for a microchip and contacted the owner. Much to our dismay, Chato has been stolen from his owners months ago! We were so happy to be able to reunite these two!!"

The cost for a microchip from a vet clinic averages about $45 to $60. TCAP generally offers them at a discount price of $30. But thanks to funding from FLEAS and Hula Hut, microchips will be offered to Little Elm area pets for free. This offer includes the lifetime registration of the microchip via HomeAgain’s National Pet Recovery Database.

According to microchip manufacturer HomeAgain, one in three pets will go missing during their lifetime. Without proper ID, 90 percent won't return home.

This initiative, which will take place September 2 at the Little Elm Animal Shelter, aims to keep pets and their people together by subsidizing the cost of this service. It's from The Texas Coalition for Animal Protection (TCAP), a nonprofit that provides low-cost spay/neuter, vaccine, and wellness services to underserved communities across North Texas.

In addition to free microchipping, TCAP will offer low-cost vaccinations and wellness services for cats and dogs during the event. That includes a rabies vaccine for only $5.

"We are thrilled to partner with Friends of the Little Elm Animal Shelter to bring this special event to the community," says TCAP executive director Stacey Schumacher. "At TCAP, our mission is to end pet overpopulation and euthanasia. This event directly correlates to our mission by ensuring lost pets can return home and aren't euthanized in overloaded shelters."

When: September 2 from 10 am-12 pm.

Where: Little Elm Animal Shelter, at 1605 Mark Tree Ln.