Register your dog's microchip in five steps
A microchip only brings your dog home if it's registered. This guide walks you through linking your dog's chip number to your contact details, one step at a time, free for life with United Pet Club.
Five steps to register your dog's microchip
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Step 1: Microchip your dog
Not chipped yet? Book a visit to your vet clinic. The procedure takes seconds and doesn't call for sedation. You'll leave with a slip showing the chip's ID number: tuck it somewhere safe until you've finished registering.
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Step 2: Choose a registration service
Some microchip brands run their own registry, but you're not stuck with that single option. Register a microchip with United Pet Club instead, and you get a registry that takes any brand of chip and is networked with the lookup databases shelters and vets across Canada check first.
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Step 3: Enter your dog's information
You'll need the microchip ID number (usually 15 digits), your dog's name, breed, age, and a photo, along with your contact details: name, address and postal code, phone number, and email. Double check every field before you submit. One wrong digit in the chip number and the whole link falls apart.
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Step 4: Pay any registration fees
Some registries charge a one-time or recurring fee, and others don't charge anything at all. Before you submit anything, be clear on what you're signing up for, and on whether the registration expires or renews on its own.
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Step 5: Keep your information updated
Any time you move, get a new phone number, or switch email addresses, update the registry right away. A microchip registered to an old address does almost as little good as one that was never registered at all.
Why microchip registration matters for dogs
Roughly the size of a grain of rice, a microchip sits under your dog's skin between the shoulder blades and carries a unique ID number that a scanner picks up in seconds. That number is useless by itself: until a registry links it to your contact information, nobody can use it to reach you. And dogs get loose more often than owners expect, whether it's a slipped collar at the off-leash park, a bolt at the first crack of thunder, or a wander down the street on moving day. It's the registration that turns a shelter scan into a phone call home. A pet ID tag on the collar helps too, since it's the fastest way for a neighbour to reach you without a scanner, but tags fall off and chips don't.
There's more to registration than the lost-dog scenario, too. Some countries require it before your dog can cross the border, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has its own requirements around animal health documentation for travel, so registering ahead of time keeps that part simple later. Rules can also vary from one province or territory to the next, so it's worth a quick check before a move or a trip. Registration doubles as a form of proof of ownership, too: if a dog changes hands informally, through a sale, a rescue, or a dispute, the registry record shows who the dog is linked to and since when. Owners looking for extra recovery tools on top of the basics, like SMS alerts or a live agent line, can compare our registration plans. And if your dog has no chip yet, you can still register your dog free and add the chip number after the vet visit.
What you get from registering
Faster reunions
A registered chip shortens the time between a shelter scanning your dog and you getting the call, sometimes from days down to hours.
Easier travel
Before a dog can enter, many countries insist on a registered microchip. Registering ahead of time avoids delays at the border, and pairing it with a pet travel certificate covers the rest of the paperwork the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and your destination expect.
A record that holds up
If ownership is ever disputed, whether over custody, a rehoming, or a boarding mix-up, the registry shows who the dog is linked to and since when.
Less strain on shelters
Every dog reunited quickly frees up kennel space and staff time for the strays that need more help.
Microchip registration questions from dog owners
How do I register my dog's microchip in Canada?
Register it free with United Pet Club: create an account, enter the chip's 15-digit number, and add your contact details, all covered by the free lifetime plan with no renewal fee. It's worth doing before a trip too, since the Canadian Food Inspection Agency requires a valid rabies vaccination certificate for dogs entering Canada, and a registered chip ties that paperwork to the right dog.
How is registering a microchip different from microchipping?
Microchipping is the one-time physical implant your vet performs. Registering is the separate step that links the chip's ID number to your name and contact details in a database. A dog can be chipped and still unregistered, and in that case the chip can't lead anyone back to you.
Is it possible to register my dog's chip with more than one database?
Yes. Registering in more than one database can widen your coverage, since not every shelter checks every registry. A registry networked across the databases most shelters check, like United Pet Club's, cuts down on how much this matters, though it's still worth confirming with shelters and vets in your own province or territory.
I adopted a dog that already has a microchip. How do I register it in my name?
Contact the registry where the chip is currently listed and ask for an ownership transfer, using your adoption paperwork as proof. You can also register the chip fresh with United Pet Club: a newer registration takes precedence over an outdated one.
Does my dog's microchip registration need to be renewed each year?
It depends on the registry. Some require periodic renewal, others don't. United Pet Club's registration stays free for the life of your dog, with no renewal required.
When a shelter scans my dog's chip, what happens next?
The scanner displays the chip's ID number and the registry it's recorded with. Staff at the shelter search that number, pull up your contact details, and reach you by phone or email.
Register your dog today
It takes just a few minutes to link your dog's microchip to your contact information. Do it now, before you ever need it. Questions? Contact us any time.