According to a study by Pet911, over 1.7 MILLION pets went missing from their homes in 2024 in the U.S. alone.
Even the most responsible pet owner is at risk of having their dog or cat stolen or go missing, which is why having your pet microchipped as soon as possible is so important.
Leashes get dropped, harnesses slip off, gates are accidentally left unlocked, window screens pop out. I've heard terrible stories of dogs getting loose after jumping through glass windows when suffering from anxiety during fireworks.
In fact, the Pet911 2024 study reports an alarming 31% increase in lost dog reports on July 4th due to celebration-related escapes.
Microchips Are Extremely Helpful — But Only If They Are Registered
Our pets are our family. In the panic-inducing event your dog or cat goes missing, microchips are one of the most effective ways to be reunited.
Unfortunately, what many people don’t realize is that once their pet is microchipped, the chip then also needs to be registered so that you can be contacted once they are found.
Whether your pet joined your family through a breeder, shelter, rescue, friend, or any other circumstance, you need to first find out if your pet has been microchipped. Most previous caretakers should have the paperwork or microchip number to give you so that it can either be transferred over to you or registered for the first time.
If they know the animal is microchipped but do not have its information, or if you've found a stray dog or cat, it is important to get them scanned — either to get the number off of the chip so you can register it, or to first see if they already have a home and you can help reunite them. Any veterinary clinic, shelter, or emergency vet should be able to do this for free.
Once you've registered your pet's microchip, you will then need to make sure to keep your contact information up to date with whatever microchip database(s) you have them registered with.
Below, I'll go over what a microchip is (and isn't), what microchipping entails, how pet microchips work, and guidance around how to register your pet’s microchip.
What is a Microchip?
A microchip is a tiny electronic device, roughly the size of a grain of rice, encased in glass and usually (but not always) implanted underneath the skin between a cat or dog's shoulder blades, below the neck.
It's a simple, relatively painless procedure that can be done during a routine veterinary visit. Our cat and two of our dogs had it done during their spay/neuter surgeries when we adopted them.
Quick Tip: Like all technology, microchips can fail. And while not likely, it's also possible for a chip to migrate.
When you see your veterinarian for a regular exam, ask them to check and see that your pet's microchip is working, and that the registration information is up-to-date.
Microchips use passive technology, so they only start transmitting a signal when you pass the scanner or reader over it. The chip contains a unique identification number, activated and read by a scanner, which can be used to identify a lost pet and reunite them with their owner.
This veterinary clinic installed a microchip scanner outside of their office to help their community be even more efficient when reuniting lost pets with their humans. It's important to note, the scanner does not give out the owner's private details but allows the finder to contact the company the chip is registered with.
Most veterinarians will have a pet's microchip number on file, so you can keep it updated with them and ask them for that information in case you've misplaced it.
While GPS collars do exist, a microchip is not a GPS device and does not track your pet’s location.
It's important to know that not all microchip scanners read all microchips. Microchips aren't standardized, there are several kinds, and each transmits signals at different frequencies. Not every reader is able to pick up those frequencies.
Thankfully, more vets and shelters are getting universal scanners which can read across frequencies, but this is good to keep in mind if you should ever find a lost pet and take them to get scanned and nothing shows up.
How to Check and Update Your Pet's Microchip Information
You're likely quick to let close friends and family know when you've changed phone numbers or addresses, but it's less likely you've got your pet's microchip registration company on speed dial.
The importance of regularly checking and updating your pet's microchip registry information cannot be overstated.
It's devastating to think about, but many microchipped pets wind up in shelters and never make it back home with their family solely due to unregistered microchips or out-of-date contact information!
Step 1: Get Your Pet's Microchip NUMBER
Don’t have their microchip number handy? Call your vet’s office, they may have it in their records OR bring your pet into your vet’s office to have them scanned (there shouldn’t be any charge for this).
Step 2: Get Your Pet's Microchip TYPE/BRAND
Can’t recall the type/brand? Lost the original paperwork? You can call your vet’s office or the shelter/rescue where you adopted your pet, they may have it in their records.
But it's even easier and faster to look up your pet’s microchip number on the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup site — you plug in the number, and if it is registered the site will tell you which registry the chip is registered to (example below) when it was last updated and provide the necessary information about how to get in touch to check and update your contact information.
Step 3: Check & Update Your Contact Information with the Registry
Now that you have your pet's microchip number and the name and contact info of the registry, call them or go onto their website to update your contact info.
It's also good to keep tabs on the company you are registered with. There was recently an issue when Save This Life, a widely used pet microchip company, shut down without warning and unlinked its databases from national registries, leaving pets and their owners vulnerable.
If you are just learning about this now and your pet's microchip was registered through Save This Life, it's important to note the microchips are still functional and remain safe. BUT you must act immediately to register your pet's information elsewhere.
There are free and paid services out there, some of which are listed below, and it doesn't hurt to register in two places. Please do not delay. If you have any issues, your veterinary clinic should be able to help you determine if your pet is microchipped and registered properly.
And that's it. Just three quick and easy steps to help ensure that your pets can find their way home should they ever go missing.
How to Register Your Pet's Microchip
Registering your pet's microchip isn't just important, it's also quick and easy.
Don't know your pet's microchip number? See "Step 1" in the "Checking & Updating Microchip Info" section above.
Below, you'll find a list of several pet microchip registries and programs to choose from. Each offers different services and alerts.
To be safest, we recommend that you register your pet's microchip both with the manufacturer's registry and with the 24PetWatch registry since it has a free option.
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24PetWatch: It is free to register your pet at this registry, but you can also upgrade to a paid option.
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HomeAgain — Your pet does not need to have a HomeAgain brand microchip to be registered in their pet recovery database
Note that some registries are "universal" (can register any brand of microchip), while others are limited only to their brand of microchip.
Also, some registries charge both to register and do updates or transfers, while others charge for some of these steps but not all, and some are completely free.
If you have moved with your pets to the United States from another country (or vice versa) you'll want to make sure their microchip can be scanned by whatever reader is available near you. You may need to get them chipped again with a "local" microchip that emits the right frequency. Then make sure to register your new chip or update your old one with your new contact information.
One more important note: while microchips provide a permanent form of identification, collars and ID tags are also incredibly helpful. A collar with up-to-date tags or a QR code tag can aid in reuniting pets with their families even more quickly.
I hope you never have an experience where you need to rely on a microchip. But if you do, you’ll be glad that it’s there and that your contact information is registered and up to date!
