Each year, countless pets are lost and never reunited with their families. Outfitting your pet with a collar and ID tag is essential, but the single most important step you can take is to microchip your pet.
Microchips dramatically increase the odds of getting your beloved pet home safely. Lost dogs are 2.5 times more likely to be returned from a shelter if they’re microchipped. For cats, the impact is even greater. Cats with microchips are 21.4 times more likely to make it back home, according to a study conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Getting your pet microchipped could mean the difference between life and death. For the microchip to successfully reunite you with your pet, the information it contains must be up to date. If you move, change your phone number, or need to include different points of contact, update your contact information on the online chip registry.
What is a pet microchip?
A microchip is a tiny, lifesaving device—about the size of a grain of rice—implanted just beneath the skin between your pet’s shoulder blades. Each chip has a unique identification number linked to your contact information.
When a lost pet is brought to a shelter or veterinary clinic, staff scan for a chip and contact the registered guardian. Microchips are not GPS devices and cannot track your pet’s location. Microchips only work if your contact information in the registry is up to date.
Once my pet is microchipped, is there anything else I need to do?
Many people assume their pet’s microchipping is complete when the shelter or rescue they adopt from initially registers it on adoption day. But for the chip to connect to your information, you need to complete your profile on the registry.
When you adopt from the San Francisco SPCA, our Adoptions team registers your pet’s microchip with PetPlace (formerly known as 24Petwatch). The pet guardian must then create a profile and add their contact information on the microchip website.
What if I don’t know where my microchip is registered?
If you don’t know which registry holds your pet’s microchip information, start with your adoption paperwork, which should list the microchip number and the company. If you can’t find that information, visit the American Animal Hospital Association’s Microchip Lookup Tool. This tool can tell you which registry to contact to make updates.
Microchipping is a quick and safe tool that can mean the difference between life and death for a lost pet. All animals adopted from the SF SPCA are microchipped before adoption to help pet guardians reunite with their pets. By taking just a few minutes to keep your contact information current, you’re giving your pet the best possible chance of finding their way home.