The Microchip Conundrum: Does Keeping Pets Safe Have to Be This Complicated?
The microchip system has become more confusing and less helpful for dogs and their people. photo: AdobeStock
I was working in an animal shelter when microchips first came out in the early 90s. It was my first job in animal welfare, working in customer service and adoptions at the Peninsula Humane Society in San Mateo. I remember how we all cheered the first day a stray dog came in and the scan picked up a microchip. We thought we had found the Holy Grail and that no pet would ever be lost again.
Fast forward to today, more than 30 years later. By now, you’d think this process should be working flawlessly, with every pet chipped and registered, and any dog running loose quickly reunited with his family. But, sadly, it isn’t so. In fact, as the years go by, the microchip system has become more confusing and less helpful for dogs and their people. How did this happen?
A Broken System
Today there are a dizzying array of companies offering microchips, scanners, and registries – more than 30 in the U.S. alone. Each company claims to be the original, the best, and the most innovative. Since each registry maintains its own proprietary database, there is no integration between companies. This means that anyone searching for the registered owner of a chip must contact each company separately.
In an attempt to address this problem, the American Association of Animal Hospitals (AAHA) created a website called Pet Microchip Lookup where any chip number can be searched and the correct registry identified. This provides a critical tool that acts as a clearinghouse for the many chip registry companies, but here’s the catch - not all registries participate. If the chip is registered with a non-participating registry, the finder will need to figure out which one that is and contact them individually.
More Companies Keep Piling On
In 2020, I created a video for my YouTube channel, First Street Pets, called “Which Pet Microchip Registry is the Best?” That video and the accompanying blog post with a comparison table became one of my most popular pieces of content, and they’ve been read and viewed many times a day since they were first published. Not too surprising, given that “microchip registry” is a frequently searched term, as pet owners do their best to protect their animal family members.
Recently I decided to update my post and video for 2023. I figured things had changed since 2020, and I was right.
I discovered that there are at least half a dozen new registries and companies selling microchips and related products, on top of the dozens that already existed. Even more concerning, I found that some companies have changed hands or merged. This presents a hassle for an owner trying to find their dog’s information.
On the bright side, I found that some companies had updated and improved their websites to be more modern and user-friendly. I also discovered a new addition to the arsenal of lost pet recovery tools: apps. Several microchip companies now offer apps with innovations like geolocation of a found pet, push notifications to the family when a pet is found, and even nose print identification.
What Do Pet Owners Need to Know?
Too often, microchips don’t keep dogs safe because their owners don’t understand how they work. They may assume the chip is registered to them, when it is registered to a previous owner or not at all. When their dog goes missing, they may wait for a call, assuming someone will read the chip info. With all this confusion, what can owners do to protect their microchipped dogs?
How To Choose a Registry
Choosing the best registry and keeping your pet’s registration current is the most effective way to make use of the microchip. Valid up-to-date owner information with a reputable, easy-to-contact registry gives your lost dog the best chance of being returned home quickly.
Here are the three most important considerations for choosing a registry:
1. Longevity
Every year new chip companies come and go, taking your critical information with them. Longstanding, well-known, and well-funded companies are more likely to be around for the lifetime of your pet. These companies are also likely to be the first contacted by finders at animal shelters as opposed to lesser-known registries that the shelters aren’t even aware of. Choosing a longstanding, well-known chip company can help keep your dog safe for his lifetime.
2. Price
“You get what you pay for” applies to microchip registration as it does to most other things. Free registration is tempting, and a good option for a rescue or an individual with many pets, but it comes with another price. Many free registries are smaller companies that may not have longevity and could be out of business by the time your pet is lost. Even the bigger companies’ free options are often quite limited; for example, they may offer online lost and found reporting only, as opposed to a 24/7 call center. Read the fine print in any registry to determine exactly what you are getting and whether it will really be of value to you.
3. Communication
When your dog goes missing, it’s an emergency. You want to talk to someone, not just type info into a website and wait hours for a response. Finders want the same thing. If a shelter, rescue, or good samaritan finds your dog and has it scanned, the ability to call and speak to a live person can mean the difference between an immediate reunion or a delay of hours or even days. As mentioned above, some registries only have online recovery service which is slow and clunky. Some don’t even list a phone number on their website. Choosing a registry with 24/7 live service will maximize the effectiveness of the microchip.
Microchipping Matters
Despite these difficulties, microchipping is still highly recommended along with a collar and tag to keep your dogs safe. Here at First Street Pets, we’re brainstorming with other animal welfare pros to find solutions to the microchip conundrum. In the meantime, keep a close eye on that favorite pal of yours. After all, the best microchip is the one you never need.