A Texas pet microchip company unexpectedly closed. How to check your pet’s info
Pet owners across the country are being urged to check their pets’ microchip registrations after an Austin, Texas-based microchip company unexpectedly shut down this week.
Save This Life was one of a dozen companies using the American Animal Hospital Association’s Pet Recovery Service, which offered a lookup tool to search companies’ databases for registered chip numbers.
“The unexplained closure of the company means that pets who were registered with the provider no longer have their owners’ information attached to the chip’s identifier number,” the AAHA said.
The AAHA announced on the lookup tool page that Save This Life chip data was disconnected from the registry.
The reason behind the shut down is unknown.
What does a pet microchip do?
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, a pet microchip keeps a special identification number connected to the contact details of the owner in a database.
Unlike tags and collars, which might be removed or fall off, a microchip stays inside the pet for life and raises the possibility of a safe return should they ever be misplaced.
Staff members search for a microchip using a unique scanner when a missing pet is located and brought to a veterinary clinic or animal shelter. The scanner searches a registry using the ID number of the chip to get the owner’s contact information.
For the system to work, pet owners must ensure their contact details are current in the microchip database.
Owners should routinely check their pet’s registration and update their information should they relocate or change phone numbers.
How do I know if my pet’s microchip is affected by the shutdown?
The AAHA is urging pet owners to get in touch with their vets and confirm their pet is registered with a reputable provider should they go missing. The chips still work; it’s just the Save This Life data that is disconnected.
BuddyID, a Louisiana-based company, was temporarily offering free registration for people who need to re-register chips.
Clinics that know they chipped pets with Save This Life microchips should to notify pet owners of the company’s status.
The AAHA said microchips registered with the company will work normally and only need to be re-registered.
