Make Sure Your Pet’s Chip is Active and Up-to-Date
Microchips can provide some comfort for pet owners in case their dogs or cats ever go missing. However, recent reports that a microchip company has likely shuttered without notice are a good reminder for pet owners to keep their pet’s chip updated.
Why Microchips are Important
"Microchips are incredibly important," PAWS Chicago chief executive Susanna Wickham told the Sun-Times. "But if you don’t know where the number is, how to look it up, what to do to update it, then it won’t help you if you ever lose your pet." Microchips, about the size of a grain of rice, are radio frequency identification devices implanted in dogs and cats usually between their shoulder blades. Owners then register their personal information, like their phone number and home address, on to the chip using a registration database. The chips are only active when they’re scanned and aren’t powered by batteries.
How to Make Sure Your Pet’s Chip is Active
The chips can be scanned and activated at any animal shelter, vet clinic or police station, Wickham said. Owners can figure out which registry tracks their pet’s microchip on the American Animal Health Association’s website.
What to Do if Your Pet’s Chip Belongs to Save This Life
Save This Life, a Texas-based microchip company, appears to have suddenly closed, according to news reports. It’s not clear why it shut down or how many of its microchips are implanted in household pets. While Save This Life’s website is still active, it’s contact page delivers an error message and the phone number doesn’t work. An emailed request for comment was not answered. But pet owners should check if their pet’s microchip belonged to Save This Life, Wickham said. If it is, they can re-register the chip with another microchip registry, such as the Free Pet Chip Registry.
How to Keep Your Pet’s Information Up-to-Date
Regardless of who makes their pet’s chip, owners should make sure their contact information on the chip is up-to-date. "If you move or change your number, it’s so important to keep your information updated on your pet’s microchip," Wickham said.
Conclusion
Microchips can provide peace of mind for pet owners, but it’s crucial to keep the information on the chip up-to-date. If your pet’s chip belongs to Save This Life, you should re-register it with another registry. Remember to check your pet’s chip regularly to ensure it’s active and up-to-date.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a microchip?
A microchip is a radio frequency identification device implanted in dogs and cats usually between their shoulder blades. - How do I know if my pet’s chip is active?
The chip is only active when it’s scanned, and it’s not powered by batteries. - How do I update my pet’s chip information?
You can update your pet’s chip information by contacting the registration database or re-registering with another microchip registry. - Why is it important to keep my pet’s chip information up-to-date?
It’s important to keep your pet’s chip information up-to-date in case you move or change your phone number, so you can be contacted if your pet is found.
