Microchipping is one of those things, that as a responsible pet owner, you need to do. It offers you the best chance of being reunited with your pet if they were to be lost or stolen.
From 2015, it became compulsory to chip your dog before they turn 8 weeks old. Normally this means breeders will have them chipped before leaving their care and all you need to do is register that chip with a DEFRA approved database such as Animal Microchips when you take ownership.
For cats, this has not always been the case, but in 2023, it will become compulsory to chip your cat before they are 20 weeks old.
Aaron Meadows has been running Animal Microchips since 2018. He explains how the process works,
“Microchipping is a quick and painless procedure for the animal. The chip is the size of a grain of rice and is placed under the skin of the animal, normally in the back of the neck. This holds an identification number.
“Chips should then be registered with a DEFRA compliant database such as Animal Microchips. There are a few companies pretending to be a secure database but if they are not government databases, no-one can access them and therefore, you would struggle reuniting with your pet.”
Microchips can only be implanted by a qualified microchipper or even at your vets. The chips last for the lifetime of your pet and so the owner needs to keep their details up to date.
Aaron gets asked all the time, why can’t the chips track pets also? “The chip is just for identification and is too small to add live tracking. Plus, a tracker would need a battery which would be very uncomfortable for an animal to have under their skin especially when it needed recharging!”
Animal Microchips know pet owners just want to keep their pets safe, so Aaron and his team are always looking at ways to support owners. One way is through an affiliation with Safer Pet. They offer pet trackers for cats and dogs. The small, lightweight device slips onto the animal’s collar and offers peace of mind to pet parents.
In all the time Aaron has been in the business, he has enjoyed it all, from the good, the bad and the ugly! He also loves a happy ending,
“We launched a pet tag called ‘Tap and Track’. These sit on an animal’s collar and the QR code can be scanned if it is lost. We had a call from a member of the public who had found a dog. The tag enabled us to text the exact location to the owner who was unaware the dog was missing! When we spoke to them, they cried tears of joy! I do love being able to offer these kinds of services.”
Microchipping is an important part of pet ownership. If you would like more information about becoming an implanter or registering your chip, visit their website www.animalmicrochips.com.
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Animal Microchips is an affiliate of Safer Pet. We work with many pet businesses to offer you a wide range of services.