Pet Expert on Microchipping Cats and Dogs: It's 'the Safest Way to Find and Keep Your Pets'

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It's National Pet ID Week, and one pet expert is sharing her advice on the easiest way to keep pets safe and ensure you find them if they ever go missing.

"Microchipping is the safest way to find and keep your pets," Haylee Bergeland (CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, RBT), Daily Paws' pet health and behavior editor, tells PEOPLE.

Bergeland is referring to the simple procedure, where a small microchip loaded with an individual's contact information is implanted under a pet's skin — often between the shoulder blades. This microchip, and the information it holds, can then be detected by a scanner used at vet offices and animal shelters.

Access to this information helps rescuers reunite lost pets with their owners, including cats and dogs missing for years.

"Unlike collars, chips don't fall off, and they are 'on' at all times," Bergeland, the owner of three microchipped pets, says of the protection a microchip offers.

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"Your collarless dog that goes missing is no longer gone forever," she adds.

Bergeland also stresses that microchipping is "completely safe" for your pet and is inexpensive for pet owners. According to the pet behavior expert, getting your pet microchipped usually costs between $35 to $60, and the expense is often included in a shelter pet's adoption fees.

Additionally, the microchip never needs to be replaced; the information linked to the chip's unique number can be updated online whenever a pet owner's contact information changes.

"It's almost a surefire way to get your pet home safe if they ever get lost," Bergeland says of the microchipping's main benefit.