Microchipping is the starting point: keeping details updated is key!
Did you know that over half of the UK's microchipped pets have out-of-date information on the database that holds their details? As pet owners, we know that keeping track of our furry friends can be tricky sometimes, and that is why microchipping can be very important.
Your pet’s microchip contains vital information, including:
- The owner’s name.
- Their home address.
- The owner’s contact details, including home telephone number, mobile number and email address.
- The license number of the breeder.
- The local authority where the breeder was licensed.
- Your pet’s identification number.
- Their name, gender and date of birth.
- Their breed, fur colour and any identifiable markings
The new law that was enforced in April 2016 requires all dogs in England to be microchipped, it also means that all microchips must be up-to-date with the owner’s details. The microchip won’t work if the details aren’t current.
If your pet is found, they will be scanned at the veterinary practice or animal welfare shelter they have been taken to, the team will then contact the national 24 hour database to find your details and reunite your pet with you.
How Does a Microchip Work?
A microchip the size of a grain of rice only stores one piece of information on it; a unique identification number linked to a microchip registry as well as a passive RFID tag that can be used by vets to scan the microchip.
This information is stored in a government-approved database and can be cross-referenced by vets by simply scanning where the chip was implanted. So long as the owner’s details are up to date, this can help reunite a lost pet with their owner.
Failure to update details can lead to a warning, if this notice is ignored you could be fined up to £500, if you still don’t comply with the law after this your dog could be seized by an enforcer. So please be safe and a responsible owner and keep your details up-to-date.
How do I Update my Pet's Details?
Any time your personal contact details change, including details such as your mobile phone number, you must update the microchip company with your new details. Changing your details at your vet will not change your microchip details, as these are held by a separate company. This is the same if you rehome an animal that is already microchipped.
The physical chip does not have to be touched, but the unique 15-digit number needs to be assigned to your details rather than that of a previous owner.
It is your responsibility to contact your microchip company to change details, but our team can help you if you have lost your pet’s microchip number or are not sure which company your pet’s microchip is registered with.
How to change ownership of a microchipped dog:
- Determine the manufacturer of your pet's microchip. This should be on any microchip paperwork you hold.
- Determine which database holds your contact details.
- From your dog's microchip paperwork, or from the microchip company's website, find out which database your pet's microchip is registered on. Each microchip manufacturer contracts with a specific database.
- NOTE: If you do not know either the database or the manufacturer, these can be determined by the chip number prefix (the first part of your dog's microchip number) which is each unique to a certain database. If you also do not know your pet's microchip number, contact our team to see if they have this information stored, or arrange to have your pet brought in to be scanned so you can get the number.
- Fill out the change of details form. Each database will have a form you can fill out which will allow you to change your details. This may incur a small cost.