USDA Approves Implantable RFID Tag to Track Horses

The DTR model is designed to read high volumes of tags, such as when livestock pass through a chute, and comes with a large antenna and other features. It is not designed to read sensor data, however, since it is more commonly used for tagged animals in which temperature sensors would not be included. The Pocket Reader, at $250, is smaller and less rugged, designed for individual scans. That model captures both the ID number and the Biothermal Sensor reading of the animal's current temperature, displaying this data on a screen.

Stored data about the horses can be managed in several locations. Since the USDA has interest only in the horse's ownership and location, Morehead states, this is the only data stored in the NAIS registry. Other horse registries—operated by jockey clubs or the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), among other groups—provide owners with chips, and collect and store information about the horses in their database, including health records and parentage.

"We view these tags, whether for dogs or cats or horses, as keys," Brown says. "They unlock information associated with that animal." As registries begin storing data from the tags, she envisions archiving more than just ownership data. "They could unlock complete health records, track [the horse] through multiple owners, even validate them as they go into the show ring," she predicts. Such data would not be encoded on the tag, but rather linked to the ID number in a back-end system.

Although the LifeChip is the first 15-digit equine RFID chip to receive approval from the NAIS, Morehead says, more can eventually be expected to follow. "There are multiple companies that have chips that would qualify if they went through the approval process," he says.

Recent media reports have implied that implanted RFID chips could pose a risk of cancer. In response, Digital Angel—along with parent company Applied Digital Solutions and fellow subsidiary VeriChip—have issued statements refuting such reports (see VeriChip Defends the Safety of Implanted RFID Tags).