Oh Chip! What Happens When Your Pet’s Microchip Company Closes Down?
We’re big advocates of getting your pet microchipped here at Southpaw Vet. Microchips help identify lost animals and may allow pet owners to store medical information in a database for future reference. When it comes to your dog or cat, you’ll always wish they had one if they end up getting lost and kick yourself for not getting it done earlier.
But here’s something you may not have thought about: What do you do when the microchip company goes out of business? Many pet owners are now finding out, because that’s exactly what happened when a company called Save This Life, based in Texas, reportedly ceased operations in February.
Companies like Save This Life run databases containing pets’ information. So, again, if a pet is lost and the animal’s information is registered in that database, it can be accessed and hopefully, the pet can be reunited with its owners. But in this case, the company running the database has shut down, and the database with it. That means that when a microchip is scanned or an attempt to reach the database is otherwise made, an error is returned.
Chip company closed? Next steps
If your pet is one of the animals with its information in that database, what do you do?
First of all, many people probably have no idea where their pet’s microchip is registered, or which company is running the database that is housing its information. Luckily, it’s fairly easy to figure out. You can visit your local veterinarian or animal shelter, and they can scan it, and then let you know the number—you can then cross-check the number using a registry lookup tool.
Next, you simply need to reregister the chip with a different company—hopefully, one that isn’t on the brink of going under or shutting down. There are many large companies that you can register with (an internet search will return many) that have been around for a while. There’s always the chance that even a big, established company could go under, but with a little research, you’ll probably find a perfectly suitable one.
More about microchipping
If your pet does not have a microchip, it may be worthwhile to consider getting one. The chip itself is a tiny device that is encased in a glass cylinder. It’s roughly the size of a grain of rice. It doesn’t have a power source, so there’s no battery, and a veterinarian can insert one in a pet using a hypodermic needle, just like getting a vaccine or shot of any other type.
And, as discussed, the primary purpose is to house your pet’s information so they can be reunited with you if they get lost. While getting the microchip inserted is one thing, it’s up to the pet’s owner to then register the number and information with a different company that will keep track of it. It’s not a GPS device or an Airtag. You can’t track your pet with it using a satellite, or anything like that. It’s merely a reference tool.
And yes, they work: Research shows that animals that are microchipped are significantly more likely to be reunited with their owners. Let us know if you’d like to learn more!
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