Getting your dog's chip registered, step by step
A chip only brings your dog home once it's actually registered. Here's exactly how that's done, one step after another, free for the whole of your dog's life with United Pet Club.
Five steps, and you're sorted
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Step 1: Get the chip put in
Not chipped yet? Ring the vet and book him in, it only takes a few seconds and there's no sedation involved. You'll leave with a slip showing the chip's ID number, hang onto that, you'll want it for the next bit.
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Step 2: Pick where to register him
Some chip brands run their own database, though there's no rule saying you have to use it. Register a microchip with United Pet Club instead, and you're covered no matter the brand, checked against the American Animal Hospital Association's universal lookup tool too.
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Step 3: Fill everything in
You'll want the chip's ID number, usually fifteen digits, your dog's name, breed, age, and a photo, plus your own name, address, phone number, and email. Worth double checking it all before you submit, one wrong digit in that chip number and the whole thing falls apart.
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Step 4: See what fees might apply
Some registries charge, either once or every year, while others charge nothing at all. Best to know what you're agreeing to before handing over your details, including whether it lapses or renews on its own.
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Step 5: Keep it current
The moment you move house, change your number, or switch email addresses, get the registry updated. A chip registered to an old address does barely any better than one never registered at all.
Why this matters for every dog in the country
A microchip is a small implant, about the size of a grain of rice, sitting under your dog's skin between the shoulder blades, and it carries a unique ID that a scanner reads in seconds. On its own though, that number does nothing at all, it has to be tied to your contact details in a registry before it's any use to anybody. Dogs get loose more often than owners reckon on, a lead slipping on a walk, a bolt at the first bang of a firework, a gate left open on moving day. There's a legal side to this too: the Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015 made chipping and registering a legal requirement nationwide, and the law expects those details to actually stay current, not just the chip to be sitting there doing nothing. A pet ID tag on the collar helps as well, being the fastest way for a neighbour to reach you without a scanner, though tags come off in a way chips simply don't.
There's more to registration than just a lost dog, mind you. Travel rules in a good few countries lean on a registered chip, so getting it sorted early saves a headache down the road. It also stands as a kind of proof of ownership: if a dog changes hands informally, through a sale, a rescue, or some falling out, the registry shows who that dog's linked to and since when. If you're after more on top of the basics, SMS alerts or a live agent line, say, have a look at our registration plans. And a dog with no chip yet can still be registered for free, with the chip number added in once the vet visit's done.
What a registered chip does for you
Getting him home faster
A registered chip can cut the wait between a warden scanning your dog and your phone actually ringing, sometimes days down to hours.
Travel with a lot less bother
Plenty of countries won't let a dog in without a registered microchip. Sort it early and you dodge the delays, a pet passport takes care of the paperwork alongside it.
A record that stands up
Should ownership ever be in question, a dispute, a rehoming, a mix-up at the kennels, the registry shows who that dog's linked to and since when.
Easing the load on shelters
Every dog reunited quickly frees up a kennel and staff time for the strays who need it a good deal more.
What dog owners tend to want to know
What's the actual difference between chipping and registering?
Chipping is the physical implant, a once-off job the vet handles. Registering is a separate step entirely, linking that chip's number to your name and contact details in a database. A dog can be chipped and still unregistered, and if that's the case, the chip won't lead anyone anywhere at all.
Can I list the chip in more than one database?
You can indeed, and it can widen your coverage, since not every shelter checks every registry going. Being part of the AAHA universal lookup, as United Pet Club is, takes a good deal of the worry out of this.
I've adopted a dog that's already chipped. How do I get it in my name?
Ring the registry currently holding that chip and ask about an ownership transfer, your adoption paperwork should do as proof. You could also register fresh with United Pet Club, since a current registration takes precedence over a stale one.
Does the registration need renewing every year?
Depends entirely on the registry. Some ask for it, some don't. United Pet Club's stays free for the whole of your dog's life, with nothing at all to renew.
What happens exactly when a warden scans my dog?
The scanner shows the chip's ID number and the registry it's held in. From there staff search that number, find your details, and ring or email you direct.
How do I go about registering my dog's microchip here?
Register free with United Pet Club: set up an account, key in the fifteen-digit chip number, and add your contact details. Since the Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015, every dog here needs to be chipped and registered, and keeping that record current is what turns the legal box tick into a chip that actually works when it counts.
Do it now, before you need it
Linking your dog's chip to your details takes no time at all, a few minutes, that's it. Questions first? Get in touch whenever suits.