One website states that one in three pets will get lost. Finding a lost pet can be stressful. There are ways we can increase the odds that a lost pet will be found and returned to its home. It is best not to rely on just one method.
ID or identification tags, be it a tag hanging on a collar or a labeled collar should be top on the list, followed by having your pet micro-chipped. Most people do not have a way to scan/read the microchip number. So having identification that anyone can read is important. There are drawbacks to relying on just an ID tag, they can fall off or become unreadable. This is where the microchip comes in handy, rarely if ever fails to work. But it does take a scanner to read the microchip.
So my pet is micro-chipped. What does this mean? All it means is that your pet has a chip implanted just under their skin and when scanned it transmit a unique identification number. That all it is, is just a number, no owner name, no tracking information, and no contact information. Just a number. That number, to be useful, must be registered, with the owner’s information, with a registry service. More on that later.
My pet is micro-chipped doesn’t that guarantee my pet will be returned if lost? No, it does not, but it does greatly improve the odds that they will.
How can you tell if your pet is micro-chipped? Your veterinarian, local shelter, or local Humane Society can scan your pet for you, to verify the microchip number. Or you received paperwork with the microchip number on it. They can also microchip your pet for you if needed.
Registering your pet’s microchip number is easy. You have a wide range of options when it comes to where to register your pet’s information. When our veterinarian microchips an animal it comes with the first years’ registration, it’s included in the cost of micro-chipping. That registry requires an annual fee. Some registries are annual-based fee structures, some are paid once for the life of the pet, and then there are free registries. The saying, “You get what you pay for!” is very true. The difference is the extra services that the registry offers. One offers up to $500.00 for airfare to return your pet home. The free registries store the important owner and pet information. However, it is up to you to register or to complete the registration to receive any benefits from micro-chipping your pet.
The biggest part of any microchip registry service is for us the pet owner is to keep it updated with current data. Without current data, it more or less defeats the purpose of micro-chipping our pet.
Some of the more well know registries:
Free Registries
Fee-Based Registries
- https://www.24petwatch.com/
- https://www.akcreunite.org/
- https://www.homeagain.com/
- https://www.fetch-id.com/
We have all our animals registered at Found Animals. Some of them are also registered at AKC Reunite and some others are at Home Again. Why, the various veterinarians that micro-chipped our animals registered them at one or the other, as part of the fee. You can register the microchip at any registry you choose or even more than one registry. We do not recommend one service over the other. But strongly recommend/urge you to register your pet and keep their contact information current.
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Mark