A family pet is lost every two seconds. One out of three pets is lost during their lifetimes. Only one in ten is found.

The numbers are worrisome: more than ten million pets are lost each year. Even more worrisome: Pet service providers lose their fair share.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) are recognizing National Check the Chip Day on August 15 by encouraging pet owners to check their pets' microchip information to make sure it is up to date and accurate. The day also offers an opportunity for veterinarians to encourage their clients to microchip their pets if they aren't already.

Dogs are renowned for their world-class noses, but a new study suggests they may have an additional—albeit hidden—sensory talent: a magnetic compass. The sense appears to allow them to use Earth’s magnetic field to calculate shortcuts in unfamiliar terrain.

Does your pet scratch at her ears or shake her head? There isn’t only one cause of the behavior, but if it does turn out to be ear mites, here’s how I told a reader they can be treated.

Every day when Chantel Trollip goes to work at her job at a local hospital, she’s greeted by many different coworkers — including Elwood the cat.

“I first met Elwood about a year ago. I picked up more hours at the hospital and saw him hanging around more often,” Trollip told The Dodo. “He’s there pretty much every day, if I don’t spot him, my coworkers do. He’s usually either securing the front door waiting for pats or lounging in the bushes nearby soaking up the sun.”