MICROCHIPS AND LOST PETS
How to update your details or track your pet with microchip
How can I track my pet with a microchip?
Not in the same way you can track something via a GPS tracker to find its location (like your phone). Microchip is just a tiny chip under your pet's skin that can be scanned only when your pet is found and brought to anyone with a scanning device to reveal the unique microchip number. But that is only half the job. The number then needs to be looked up in one of Australia's microchipping databases to retrieve the contact details of the person the chip is registered to. Generally, only specially accredited people like vets and council pound workers have access to those databases.
Update your details
Even if your pet is missing you can still update the chip details provided you have the chip number. You can find the information on who to call on your chip paperwork or using this website: www.petaddress.com.au Alternatively, you can try and call the major Australian chipping companies to find out which one can mark your pet as missing and update your details on their database:
- Australasian Animal Registry - www.aar.org.au - 02 9704 1450
- NSW: NSW Pet Registry - www.petregistry.nsw.gov.au
It’s a requirement in NSW for all cats and dogs to be microchipped and placed on the NSW Pet Registry by the time they reach 12 weeks of age, or prior to sale, whichever comes first.
Allows online pet registration, updating contact details, reporting pet as missing, transfer of ownership and payment of fees. - VIC: Central Animal Registry - www.car.com.au - 03 9706 3187
- SA: Dogs and Cats Online - www.dogsandcatsonline.com.au - 08 8155 5662
- HomeSafeID - www.homesafeid.com - 1300 537 140
- Petsafe - www.petsafe.com.au - 02 8850 6800
- Global Micro Animal Registry - www.globalmicro.com.au - 02 8338 9063
Search by Microchip Number
Lost Pet Finders lost and found pet database can be searched by microchip number. If the correct number is provided by the member their listing will come up and you will be able so contact them directly via the website. Just open the Advanced Filters and enter the number
Search by Microchip
Chip number public?
Bad idea! If someone decides to keep your pet, knowing that number will make it easy for them to re-registered the chip into a new name, which in turn will make it very hard for you to get your pet back or prove the ownership. If you have your microchip number provided in the correct field on the website it will not be displayed publicly but will still be searchable in our LOST & FOUND. Vets and other pet professionals can search by it.
No 100% guarantee
Microchips help but do not guarantee that you will get your pet back, they can fail, migrate and can be removed. There is more than one chip database, a vet or a pound may not have access to the one your chip is registered with. It can take a council pound several days to scan a microchip. Animal rescue organisations may not verify chip details for surrendered pets. And most importantly, chips are no good unless they are scanned.
What to do?
The best thing you can do is make sure the chip details are up to date and the chip is flagged as missing in the database it is registered with. Register your pet on Lost Pet Finders and provide the microchip number in the appropriate field. And most importantly do not stop looking and raising awareness among local people, use all the tools Lost Pet Finders offer.
Additional information can be found on Responsible Pet Breeders website - www.responsiblepetbreeders.com.au/microchipping
