Found a pet? There's a free way to look it up
United Pet Club's pet recovery lookup is open to anyone at all, anywhere in the world, and there is no charge for using it, nor any account required. Look for the Recover a Pet button sitting at the top of any United Pet Club page, and search a microchip, tag, tattoo, or passport number from there. If the pet turns out to be registered with us, we'll help you reach the owner, and our live agent line at 1-800-AID-PETS answers day and night.
How a lookup actually works, in plain terms
Every pet microchip carries a unique number, usually fifteen digits, which a vet, ISPCA branch, or dog warden reads with a scanner. That number, sitting there on its own, says nothing whatsoever about the owner, it needs matching against a registry, and matching is really the whole of what a lookup does: you enter the number, and whichever registry is holding the record sends back a way to reach the owner.
Our registry accepts chips from any manufacturer at all, and we take part in the AAHA universal pet microchip lookup, usually the first port of call for a clinic or shelter when a stray comes through the door. If your number isn't with us, the universal lookup will show you which registry does hold it, so the trail keeps going rather than stopping dead.
If you're an owner reading this rather than a finder, a lookup is only ever as useful as your own registration is current. Register your pet's microchip free, or have a look at what the free lifetime plan includes first.
Found a lost dog or cat? Here's what to do
1
Check the collar first
A tag with a phone number on it is nearly always the fastest way home. QR or printed code there instead? A phone camera will scan it and open the pet's registry profile.
2
Get the animal scanned
Any vet surgery, ISPCA branch, or dog warden can scan for a chip, usually free of charge for a found pet. It takes only seconds, and the chip number appears straight away.
3
Run the number through a lookup
Try the United Pet Club pet recovery lookup, or the AAHA universal lookup if you'd sooner check every participating registry in one go.
4
Reach the owner, or hand things over
A match connects you with the owner through the registry itself. No match, and a vet or dog warden can take it from there under the local rules for found animals.
What the recovery lookup can search
Microchip numbers
Any brand of ISO microchip works here, not only the ones sold by United Pet Club.
Tag and code lookups
No means of scanning to hand? The code printed on a United Pet Club QR tag can be typed in by hand instead.
Tattoo and passport numbers
Older forms of identification still count for something here too, tattoo and pet passport numbers both work in the lookup.
Free, day and night
No cost at all, and it never closes, and the 1-800-AID-PETS live agent line can help coordinate a reunion whatever the hour.
A few lookup questions
How would I go about looking up a pet's microchip number?
Have the animal scanned first, any vet surgery or ISPCA branch will do it, then enter the number in United Pet Club's free pet recovery lookup, found behind the Recover a Pet button on every page of unitedpetclub.com. The AAHA universal microchip lookup is another route, one search covering a whole range of participating registries, ours included.
Is there a cost to using the lookup?
There is not, no. Searching the United Pet Club registry is free, and there's no account needed at all to look up a found pet.
Would a chip number give me an owner's home address?
It would not. A lookup never hands out personal details of that sort. It connects you with the registry instead, and the registry reaches the owner through whatever details are on file, so the owner stays entirely in control of what gets shared.
What happens if the chip number isn't registered anywhere at all?
More common than you'd think, unfortunately, the chip went in but was simply never registered. A vet or shelter can sometimes trace the manufacturer from the number's prefix and follow the trail back to whoever bought it. It's also as good a reason as any to get your own pet's chip registered without delay.
What exactly is the AAHA universal pet microchip lookup?
A free tool that checks a good number of registries in one go and reports back which ones hold a record for a given chip number. United Pet Club takes part in it, which is one reason shelters can find our records so quickly.
Make sure a lookup would actually lead back to you
This page only does its job for a finder once the owner's side of things has been sorted. Register your pet's microchip free, and keep your contact details current.