Should I Register My Pet Microchip With More Than One Registry

No thing how conscientious we are with our pets, there'due south no question that some are born escape artists. And fifty-fifty the most docile pets aren't immune to the occasional wander.

According to statistics, 1 in iii pets will go missing at some indicate in their lifetime. If you've ever felt that trauma starting time-paw or the simple thought of information technology fills you with dread, one thing is for sure: You know there's nothing y'all wouldn't do to get a lost canis familiaris or cat nestled safely dorsum in your arms...fast.

Here's the good news: If your pet is microchipped, the key to a speedy and successful reunion is already in place. But in order to unlock its power, there's one more crucial step you need to take: annals your pet'southward microchip. Information technology's the single nearly important matter you can do to ensure your pet'southward safe return. Luckily, it's also the easiest!

And enquiry proves that this i elementary stride is absolutely worth the few minutes it takes to consummate. According to a 2009 study of seven,700 lost pets, 52% of microchipped dogs and 39% of microchipped cats were successfully reunited with their families.

Unfortunately, of the chipped pets who did not make it home safely, the report revealed unregistered microchips or those with outdated information were the chief reasons.

Simple Microchip Registration

Co-ordinate to experts, an estimated 40% of microchipped pets are walking around with unregistered fries. That's similar splurging on shiny new tags for your dog or cat, but leaving them blank...If someone finds your lost pet, how will they know how to contact you?

While microchip registry sounds like a no-brainer, fifty-fifty the almost responsible pet parents sometimes get derailed by pretty common scenarios. Such as:

Many shelters automatically microchip animals in their intendance. But brand new pet parents might not realize they need to register the flake.
Some people misfile chip registration with needing to obtain a local license for their pet.
Even experienced pet parents sometimes forget to register a bit in the excitement of welcoming a new family member.
And what happens if yous misplace your paperwork and tin't figure out how to update your registry or whether your pet was ever chipped to begin with?

No need to worry...or to let these unanswered questions continue you from reuniting with a lost pet one second longer than you accept to. In two easy steps, here'south how to ensure your pet's microchip is properly registered, in one case and for all.

Step 1: Verify Your Pet's Microchip

If you're one of those organizationally-gifted people who can summon their pet's microchip number at a moment'due south notice, huzzah! You can go on directly to Step 2.

The rest of us may need a flake of assistance. Luckily, you have plenty of options:

Phone call your vet. Even if your files aren't the tidiest, if y'all've ever shared your pet's microchip registry number with your vet, the office should have information technology on tape. This is the option of offset resort for many pet parents. It's convenient, fast, and free!

Contact your breeder, shelter or rescue. No matter where you got your pet, it'southward possible they came to you already microchipped. So don't hesitate to contact a breeder or shelter for your pet'southward microchip number...fifty-fifty if you're agape it will brand you wait like a bad pet parent. Information technology's typically costless, and information technology's much more mutual than y'all think.

Get your pet scanned. If you yet tin't confirm your pet'south microchip number, information technology's fourth dimension to bring them to a pro. Most veterinarians, animal shelters, and fifty-fifty creature control offices can scan your pet to see if they have a microchip — often free of accuse. Be sure to call ahead to confirm cost and make sure they use a universal scanner, which reads all frequencies and so information technology'south more than likely to observe any fleck, regardless of manufacturer.

Pace ii: Register Your Pet's Microchip

One time you've confirmed your microchip number, registering it is gratuitous and takes no more than a few minutes. Yous can do it yourself on the 24PetWatch Pet Registry Portal or by calling 1-866-597-2424 to work direct with a Pet Registry Specialist.

That's information technology! Once y'all're done, your pet's unique microchip ID will forever exist linked to the information you entered in the registry. Congrats on taking the most important step you lot tin, to help ensure your pet makes information technology home to you safely.

But what does that actually hateful? Tin can y'all track your pet wherever they go like you can with some food delivery services? Now that you've registered your pet's microchip, it's of import to empathize exactly what they can — and tin can't — do.

How Do Microchip Registries Work?

Your pet'south microchip is a tiny piece of technology — no larger than a grain of rice — that stores a unique ID number. Think of it like a barcode, Microchip Scanner except that information technology resides safely and securely inside your pet's torso just under the surface of their skin, so it tin can never go lost.

There are many dissimilar microchip manufacturers, but it doesn't matter who made the chip within your pet. Some microchips operate on different frequencies, only a universal scanner tin read them all. Even and so, the only thing a browse will reveal is the microchip's unique ID number.

That's why registering the bit is so important. When a lost pet is found and scanned, a shelter can quickly search that ID number in a database to find out where that pet is registered, and so alert the registry that the pet has been found. If the microchip is registered properly, that registry then alerts the pet parent on file to arrange the happy reunion!

What microchips don't do is rails your pet'southward location 24/7 so you can find them the minute they go missing. They too don't store any private data. And they're all-time used in addition to — not instead of — standard pet ID tags.

How To Become The Most Out Of Your Microchip Registry

Hopefully, by now, there's no doubt in your listen just how of import it is to properly register your pet'south microchip. But when a pet is missing, yous want to make sure you have the best possible chance of reuniting with them.

According to Dana Rayman, Manager of the 24PetWatch Telephone call Eye, hither's how to get even more than out of your microchip registry and improve your odds of a successful reunion.

Gratis Microchip Registry

"When you register your microchip with 24PetWatch, you get free access to the online portal and lost pet recovery services. That ways when your pet goes missing, you can have immediate action and get our Lost Pet Recovery Squad on the example, instead of just worrying or hoping for the best," said Rayman.

Here's how that works:

The infinitesimal you lot realize your pet is missing, yous can study your lost pet at any time of the 24-hour interval or night.
The Lost Pet Recovery Team will then search for your pet's microchip ID in their nationwide database of institute pets.

If they get a hit, they'll notify you lot using the contact information you included in your registry. (Even more reason to make sure that info is always updated!)

Pet Protection Services Membership

Nevertheless, finding a lost pet is seldom simple, and most pet parents desire to do everything in their power to reunite with their lost pets every bit quickly equally possible. That's why 24PetWatch offers enhanced Pet Protection Services equally function of an Annual Membership ($29.95/yr) or Lifetime Membership ($94.95).

"A Pet Protection Membership is the equivalent of 911 for pet parents," says Rayman. "Instead of self-service reporting and updates if there's a hit in the database, y'all become instant, live access to a Lost Pet Recovery Specialist who can not only expedite your search, but besides provide additional support and ideas to help you become your pet back faster."

Hither's how that works:

Experienced Recovery Experts are on call 24 hours a solar day, 7 days a week, 365 days a twelvemonth, set up to speak with you directly the minute you written report your pet missing.
In add-on to searching their database in existent fourth dimension, Recovery Experts also reach out to local facilities and shelters so they can be on the lookout for your pet.
They provide tried-and-true suggestions, like placing your pet's bed outside your door to aid them scent their way home, and even help you lot create a custom Lost Pet poster.
Best of all, with DirectConnect, Recovery Experts have the ability to instantly connect you directly with the facility or finder who has your pet the second they are found to adjust a safe, happy reunion.

"The all-time part of working directly with our members is that there'due south no delay," said Rayman. "If we get a call at 4:00 AM saying someone found your pet, y'all tin can bet nosotros're waking y'all upwards to give you the good news."

"Membership also gives you unlimited updates to your registry information, so it'southward like shooting fish in a barrel to proceed it upward to date. And you can even add trusted friends and family as contacts. That's fundamental if nosotros can't accomplish you or if your number has inverse; We'll call your secondary contacts until nosotros find someone who can get your pet right away."

Lifetime Pet Protection Membership offers a range of additional benefits, including a $25 PetCo coupon, exclusive discounts, and year-long access to a 24/seven Vet Hotline and 24PetMedAlert^®.

But the biggest benefit of registering with 24PetWatch is the all-encompassing network of shelters and facilities that work with the company equally a long-standing leader in the field of lost pet recovery. Thanks to that partnership, over ninety% of pets adopted from shelters are already chipped and registered to their pet parents through 24PetWatch, said Rayman.

"On boilerplate, we're reuniting betwixt 3,000-4,000 pets with their parents each month...most of them through DirectConnect. And in that location'due south zip similar hearing the relief in someone's vox when they know we're about to connect them to someone who has their pet, safe and sound."

Click for more data on registering your microchip or Pet Protection Service Membership, or phone call a 24PetWatch representative at ane-866-597-2424.

Karen Vitale is a long-time writer, creator and animal lover whose work has been featured everywhere from Disney Studios to The Smithsonian Institutions.