ESCANABA -- It can be devastating for a family when their pet goes missing.  But there's a microchip locator that can be implanted into your furry friend to prevent such a problem.  It's quick and painless to put in and lasts for the animal's lifetime.

"All local shelters have a scanning device," says Escanaba vet, Dr. Julie Chouinard.  "They scan the patient when they come through the shelter doors and then get a number that they look up on a national registry."

Over ten million pets get lost every year, and many of them never return home.

"One of the number one reasons that pets die is because they get lost or hit by cars," Chouinard says.

Beth Charles entered her two-year-old chocolate lab, Mabel, into a drawing to get microchipped for free.  And she won.

The family lives on eight acres, and Mabel often follows the sound of other dogs' barking.

Charles used to have to whistle and yell Mabel's name when she couldn't find her.  But now that she's microchipped, her owner doesn't worry as much.

"The kids would be devastated," explains Charles.  "Mostly it's the kids who love her and they don't want anything bad to happen to her.  And now I can tell them if she does get lost, it'll be a lot easier to find her."

What's more?  The procedure is as safe and simple as it is effective.

Charles said she plans on telling family members that the painless pet procedure is worth it.

"I have a sister with a dog that's always getting lost and running away," Charles says.  "I'm going to be telling her about this."

In the last two years, 83 pets have been microchipped at the Escanaba vet clinic.  The cost for the procedure ranges from $50 to $70, and the device can even help locate pets that are lost outside of the U.S.