Can You Register A Microchip With A Different Company

No matter how conscientious we are with our pets, there's no question that some are built-in escape artists. And fifty-fifty the most docile pets aren't immune to the occasional wander.

According to statistics, one in three pets will get missing at some point in their lifetime. If you've e'er felt that trauma outset-mitt or the elementary thought of information technology fills you with dread, ane affair is for sure: You know there's nix yous wouldn't practise to go a lost dog or cat nestled safely back in your arms...fast.

Here's the good news: If your pet is microchipped, the key to a speedy and successful reunion is already in place. Merely in order to unlock its power, at that place'southward one more crucial footstep you need to accept: register your pet'due south microchip. It's the single most of import affair you can do to ensure your pet'southward safety return. Luckily, it's too the easiest!

And research proves that this one simple step is absolutely worth the few minutes it takes to complete. Co-ordinate to a 2009 study of vii,700 lost pets, 52% of microchipped dogs and 39% of microchipped cats were successfully reunited with their families.

Unfortunately, of the chipped pets who did not brand it domicile safely, the written report revealed unregistered microchips or those with outdated information were the main reasons.

Simple Microchip Registration

Co-ordinate to experts, an estimated 40% of microchipped pets are walking effectually with unregistered chips. That's like splurging on shiny new tags for your canis familiaris or cat, but leaving them blank...If someone finds your lost pet, how volition they know how to contact you?

While microchip registry sounds like a no-brainer, even the most responsible pet parents sometimes become derailed past pretty common scenarios. Such equally:

Many shelters automatically microchip animals in their care. Just brand new pet parents might not realize they need to register the bit.
Some people confuse chip registration with needing to obtain a local license for their pet.
Fifty-fifty experienced pet parents sometimes forget to register a flake in the excitement of welcoming a new family member.
And what happens if you misplace your paperwork and tin can't figure out how to update your registry or whether your pet was ever chipped to begin with?

No demand to worry...or to permit these unanswered questions go along you lot from reuniting with a lost pet 1 second longer than you have to. In ii easy steps, here's how to ensure your pet's microchip is properly registered, once and for all.

Footstep 1: Verify Your Pet's Microchip

If y'all're one of those organizationally-gifted people who tin summon their pet'south microchip number at a moment's notice, huzzah! Yous tin can go along straight to Pace 2.

The residue of us may need a fleck of help. Luckily, you have plenty of options:

Call your vet. Even if your files aren't the tidiest, if you lot've ever shared your pet's microchip registry number with your vet, the function should have information technology on tape. This is the option of first resort for many pet parents. It's convenient, fast, and complimentary!

Contact your breeder, shelter or rescue. No thing where you got your pet, it's possible they came to you already microchipped. And so don't hesitate to contact a breeder or shelter for your pet'due south microchip number...even if you lot're afraid it volition make you await like a bad pet parent. It's typically complimentary, and it'due south much more common than you think.

Get your pet scanned. If you still can't ostend your pet's microchip number, it's fourth dimension to bring them to a pro. Most veterinarians, animal shelters, and fifty-fifty animal control offices can scan your pet to encounter if they take a microchip — often free of charge. Be sure to phone call ahead to confirm cost and make sure they apply a universal scanner, which reads all frequencies so it'south more likely to detect any chip, regardless of manufacturer.

Step 2: Register Your Pet's Microchip

Once you've confirmed your microchip number, registering it is free and takes no more than than a few minutes. You tin can do it yourself on the 24PetWatch Pet Registry Portal or past calling 1-866-597-2424 to piece of work directly with a Pet Registry Specialist.

That'southward it! One time you're done, your pet's unique microchip ID will forever be linked to the information you entered in the registry. Congrats on taking the nearly important step you can, to help ensure your pet makes information technology domicile to you lot safely.

But what does that really mean? Tin you rails your pet wherever they go similar you lot can with some food delivery services? Now that yous've registered your pet's microchip, it's important to understand exactly what they tin — and can't — do.

How Practice Microchip Registries Work?

Your pet'due south microchip is a tiny piece of technology — no larger than a grain of rice — that stores a unique ID number. Think of it like a barcode, Microchip Scanner except that information technology resides safely and deeply inside your pet'due south body just nether the surface of their pare, so information technology tin can never get lost.

There are many different microchip manufacturers, only it doesn't matter who made the chip inside your pet. Some microchips operate on different frequencies, but a universal scanner can read them all. Even and then, the only thing a browse will reveal is the microchip'southward unique ID number.

That's why registering the chip is and so important. When a lost pet is found and scanned, a shelter can apace search that ID number in a database to find out where that pet is registered, then alert the registry that the pet has been found. If the microchip is registered properly, that registry then alerts the pet parent on file to suit the happy reunion!

What microchips don't do is rail your pet's location 24/vii and then yous can observe them the minute they become missing. They as well don't store any individual data. And they're all-time used in addition to — non instead of — standard pet ID tags.

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Microchip Registry

Hopefully, by now, at that place's no doubt in your listen just how important it is to properly register your pet's microchip. But when a pet is missing, you want to make sure you take the best possible chance of reuniting with them.

According to Dana Rayman, Manager of the 24PetWatch Call Centre, here'due south how to go fifty-fifty more out of your microchip registry and ameliorate your odds of a successful reunion.

Complimentary Microchip Registry

"When you register your microchip with 24PetWatch, you get free access to the online portal and lost pet recovery services. That ways when your pet goes missing, y'all can accept immediate action and go our Lost Pet Recovery Team on the case, instead of just worrying or hoping for the all-time," said Rayman.

Hither'south how that works:

The infinitesimal y'all realize your pet is missing, you tin report your lost pet at any time of the 24-hour interval or dark.
The Lost Pet Recovery Team volition and then search for your pet'southward microchip ID in their nationwide database of constitute pets.

If they go a hit, they'll notify yous using the contact information you included in your registry. (Fifty-fifty more reason to make sure that info is always updated!)

Pet Protection Services Membership

All the same, finding a lost pet is seldom uncomplicated, and virtually pet parents want to do everything in their power to reunite with their lost pets equally apace equally possible. That'south why 24PetWatch offers enhanced Pet Protection Services every bit part of an Annual Membership ($29.95/twelvemonth) or Lifetime Membership ($94.95).

"A Pet Protection Membership is the equivalent of 911 for pet parents," says Rayman. "Instead of cocky-service reporting and updates if there'south a hit in the database, you go instant, alive access to a Lost Pet Recovery Specialist who can non only expedite your search, just also provide boosted support and ideas to aid you go your pet back faster."

Hither'southward how that works:

Experienced Recovery Experts are on call 24 hours a twenty-four hour period, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, ready to speak with you directly the infinitesimal yous written report your pet missing.
In improver to searching their database in real time, Recovery Experts also reach out to local facilities and shelters then they can be on the lookout man for your pet.
They provide tried-and-truthful suggestions, like placing your pet'southward bed outside your door to help them scent their way home, and even help you create a custom Lost Pet poster.
Best of all, with DirectConnect, Recovery Experts accept the ability to instantly connect you directly with the facility or finder who has your pet the 2nd they are found to conform a prophylactic, happy reunion.

"The best office of working directly with our members is that in that location'due south no delay," said Rayman. "If nosotros become a phone call at 4:00 AM maxim someone found your pet, you tin bet we're waking you up to give you the skillful news."

"Membership also gives you unlimited updates to your registry information, so it'southward easy to proceed it up to appointment. And y'all can even add trusted friends and family unit every bit contacts. That's primal if we tin't reach you lot or if your number has inverse; Nosotros'll phone call your secondary contacts until we observe someone who can get your pet right away."

Lifetime Pet Protection Membership offers a range of additional benefits, including a $25 PetCo coupon, exclusive discounts, and yr-long access to a 24/7 Vet Hotline and 24PetMedAlert^®.

Just the biggest do good of registering with 24PetWatch is the extensive network of shelters and facilities that work with the visitor equally a long-standing leader in the field of lost pet recovery. Thanks to that partnership, over 90% of pets adopted from shelters are already chipped and registered to their pet parents through 24PetWatch, said Rayman.

"On boilerplate, we're reuniting betwixt 3,000-4,000 pets with their parents each month...near of them through DirectConnect. And there'due south cypher like hearing the relief in someone'due south vox when they know we're about to connect them to someone who has their pet, safe and audio."

Click for more information on registering your microchip or Pet Protection Service Membership, or call a 24PetWatch representative at ane-866-597-2424.

Karen Vitale is a long-time author, creator and animal lover whose work has been featured everywhere from Disney Studios to The Smithsonian Institutions.