How To Register a Microchip

 

Whether you’ve just adopted a new puppy or kitten or are recently finding out about microchips, there are many ways you can benefit from microchipping your four-legged family members. We explain how to register a microchip the easy way!

 

 

Learn How To Register a Microchip

 

 

What are Microchips?

 

Microchips are tiny electronic transponders that are about the size of a grain of rice. Microchips are inserted under the skin between your dog or cat’s shoulder blades by a vet, vet tech (nurse), or by a staff member at an animal shelter. 

 

Almost all veterinarians and animal shelters offer a pet microchipping service to help keep lost animals out of shelters. Both cats and dogs can receive the microchip during a routine examination or during an anesthetic procedure — like a spay, neuter, or dental procedure.

 

After the microchip’s insertion, you need to register the microchip’s number online with your contact information. At Paoli Vetcare, our staff takes care of this for our clients.

 

Microchips emit radio frequencies when a special, universal scanner passes over it. These frequencies allow the person scanning the chip to see a unique identifying number. The pet owner’s contact information is linked to the microchip. Using a lookup service, the veterinarian will be able to contact the owner directly.

 

Microchips significantly increase the odds of reuniting pets with their owners. It’s a small investment that can pay big dividends! 

• The return-to-owner rate for microchipped dogs was over 52%–a 238% increase!
• The return-to-owner rate for microchipped cats was dramatically higher at over 38%–a more than 2000% better!

 

 

$45 Save This Life™ Microchip — Google a Lost Pet!!

 

 

Use a simple Google search to reunite pets with families with a Save This Life™ microchip. Their microchip comes with an aluminum, machine stamped ID tag with “Search this # to Find my Family,” as opposed to a plastic, ink stamped tag or a tag with no microchip number on it, like their competitors.

 

The number links to a photo of your pet and a secure contact form. You will be sent a text, email, and Google map with your pet’s location.

 

Standard microchips require the microchip number to be read by a scanner or from an ID tag and then called in to one of many microchip databases, delaying notification of the distressed owner.

 

Save This Life’s innovative technology has revolutionized the pet recovery process — make an appointment today!

 

Coverage for up to $1,000 in emergency care for accidents that may occur while your pet is lost is included.

 

The microchips are ISO compliant, readable by universal scanners, and coated to prevent migration.

 

There are no registration fees, no annual fees and no fees to update information or transfer pet owners.

 

You may enjoy watching the one minute video that explains the technology at SaveThisLife.com.

 

 

 

Why Microchip Your Pet?

 

Microchipping pets is a safe practice that has been around for more than 20 years now. Most veterinarians and almost all animal shelters strongly encourage all pet parents to microchip their fur babies. There is a significantly higher chance of reuniting pets with their owners if they are ever lost or stolen. 

 

The top three reasons to get your pet microchipped are listed below: 

 

 

It’s Permanent

 

Is pet chip registry legit? Absolutely. And even more than that, it’ll also last a lifetime. 

 

Though collars with names and contact numbers can be useful, they also can wear out or fall off. Microchips, on the other hand, are guaranteed to last.

 

After the microchip’s installation, you do not need to update or remove it again. Some experts suggest having a veterinarian scan the chip once a year to ensure it is still registered and accessible. 

 

Once you have installed the chip and have registered to become part of the pet microchip registry, you’re good to go! 

 

 

It can prove ownership

 

Unfortunately, situations arise where pets wander onto another property and get scooped up and brought into that family’s home as their own. If you ever find yourself in a situation like this and your pet is microchipped and registered, you’ll be able to prove that they belong with you. 

 

 

Helps reunite pets with their owners

 

If your pet goes missing, you might have no way to reunite with them if someone else finds them. You can put up posters and hope the tag on your pet’s collar doesn’t fall off, but those options are not foolproof. 

 

Microchips give owners something else to count on when it comes to finding their lost pet. When stray animals show up at shelters or other veterinary practices, they are checked for a microchip. If that pet’s microchip has been registered online with their owner’s contact information, then the owner can be told where to come to retrieve their precious dog or cat! 

 

 

 

 

Choose a Microchipping Service

 

There are currently more than 25 pet microchipping services. Despite which company you choose to supply the microchip, registering your microchip online is a similar process. 

 

When microchips were first developed, pet owners encountered issues with deciding which microchipping service would be the best choice for their dog or cat. At the time, certain microchips were unreadable unless you had a special scanner. 

 

Today, there is a universal scanner that can recognize data from multiple microchipping services in one scan. AKC Reunite, 24PetWatch, Found Animals, and HomeAgain are among the more popular microchipping services used nationwide. 

 

There is sometimes a fee involved with the initial registration of microchips. 

 

Do you have to pay to keep the microchip registration active? Sometimes, yes — as high as $50 annually. 

 

Paoli Vetcare offers Save This Life™ revolutionary Google-searchable microchips with no registration fees.

 

You have plenty of choices to choose from for pet microchip services, but before making a final decision, do your research — make sure the microchipping service you want for your pet is popular enough to be part of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Universal Pet Microchip Lookup. 

 

 

 

 

How to Search the Pet Microchip Registry

 

AAHA created a tool to search through over 25 different company registries. It’s available for free online for anyone to search for a microchipped pet’s owner.

 

To use the AAHA universal registry, type in your 9, 10, or 15 character microchip number that came with the microchip at the time of insertion. The number is usually on a small, colorful tag that you could keep on a keychain or your pet’s collar. 

 

 

How Do I Know If My Pet’s Microchip Is Registered?

 

Immediately following the microchip’s insertion, you should receive documentation from your vet that includes a unique microchip identification number. Your vet or the shelter should keep a record of this information in case you lost the paperwork. 

 

The number is what you will use to search for your pet’s information on the universal pet microchip registry. 

 

Once you’ve found your pet online, you can proceed to the microchip service’s website and fill out the contact information section associated with that number. 

 

If you’re wondering ‘how do I change my pet’s microchip information?’, it’s by following the same steps listed above. You are the only one with access to your pet’s microchip number. 

Can I Register My Pets Microchip With Any Company?

Yes. Pet microchips are designed to be registered with any available pet registry. You can also register your pet’s microchip with multiple registries. To ensure the usefulness of your pet’s microchip, it’s a good idea to get it registered with multiple company registries that can be read by vets and shelters.

How Do I Find Out Who Owns a Microchipped Dog?

 

If a stray dog wanders onto your yard, the lost animal should be taken to a local vet or shelter to be scanned for a microchip. The scan is usually free and only takes a few minutes to complete. Some pets will have a collar tag with a microchip number — so scanning isn’t necessary.

 

If a registered microchip can be found during a scan, the pet owner’s contact information will be connected to the chip ID number. You can use it to reach out to the owner and let them know their pet is safe with you! Don’t forget your contact information must be updated when you move or change your phone number.

 

Every pet owner’s worst nightmare is losing their furry friend indefinitely. Read How Much does It Cost to Microchip a Dog (or cat 😻) to learn more details. Microchips are the most cost-effective way to minimize that risk! 

 

 

Consider Joining the Paoli Vetcare Family

 

We invite you to meet Dr. Jay Rowan — the best-reviewed veterinarian on the Main Line. You can book an appointment online now. If you’d like to support our animal hospital, please shop for your pet food and medications through the Paoli Vetcare Online Pharmacy.