The benefits of microchipping your pet: why it matters and how it works
A microchip is the one form of pet ID that cannot fall off or be removed. Here is how the procedure works, what it costs, and why it still needs a tag as backup.
Microchipping
A microchip is not a tracker
A microchip carries no battery and no GPS. It stores a fixed ID number that only means something once a vet or rehoming centre scans it and looks that number up on the correct database. The chip on its own cannot locate a pet or ring an owner.
Out of date details cause most failed reunions
A rehoming centre scans a stray, gets a number back, and finds either no registration or a phone number that's years out of date. That gap causes far more failed reunions than a faulty chip, which is genuinely rare.
Can a microchip track where my pet is?
No. It has no battery or GPS, so it cannot be tracked. It only holds an ID number that a scanner can read at close range.
How do I find out which database my pet is registered on?
The vet or rehoming centre that implanted the chip can tell you, and the chip's manufacturer will have a record too. A universal lookup service can also point you to the right database.
How pet microchip registration works: what actually happens after your pet is chipped
The chip only stores a number. Registration links it to your contact details, and it's the part owners most often skip or let go stale.