Attention dog owners, your pet’s microchip may have stopped working: Here’s what you need to check
A major provider of microchips for domestic animals has unexpectedly closed, leaving many owners in the U.S. at risk of being unable to relocate stray pets.
Domestic animal owners in the United States are being urged to re-register their pet’s microchip if they are users of the now-defunct chip provider Save This Life.
As confirmed by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), which cited business records held by the Texas Secretary of State, the Austin-based company has been inactive since early last week.
What are pet microchips and how do they work?
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), pet microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and are injected under the skin of animals such as dogs and cats.
The microchips hold an identification number that allows owners to be reunited with lost pets. When a stray animal is picked up, its chip can be scanned to ascertain the ID number. This number, in turn, is used to look up its owners’ contact information, as long as the chip is linked to one of the U.S.’s multiple pet registration databases.
As noted by the AVMA, research has shown that dogs bearing a microchip are twice as likely to be successfully reunited with their owners than those without one. “For stray cats, the difference in return rates was even more dramatic,” the organization says.
Save This Life chips no longer linked to owner info
The AAHA explains, however, that Save The Life’s closure means any owner search using the ID number on the provider’s microchips will now draw a blank.
And as reported by USA Today, people’s attempts to contact Save This Life have met with radio silence.
The news outlet quoted one social-media user who wrote on the firm’s Instagram page: “When will Save This Life make a statement addressing the fact that they have been unresponsive to pet owners, shelters and rescues trying to reunite pets? The website still states support is available 24/7 yet there is no way to speak to anyone or report a pet found through your website.”
How to know if your pet is affected - and what to do
Owners whose animals have microchips provided by Save This Life have a number of alternatives when it comes to re-registering their animal to a microchip database.
Per a list posted by Tribeca Soho Animal Hospital in New York, available options include the Free Registry Service, PetLink and HomeAgain.
If you aren’t sure whether you pet’s microchip is affected by the Save This Life closure, you should check your animal’s microchip ID number. “If your pet’s microchip number starts with either 991 or 900164, then you have one of the Save This Life microchips,” Tribeca Vets says.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment
Your opinion will be published with first and last names