A tiny chip that looks after your pet for good
About the size of a grain of rice, a pet microchip gets placed just under the skin by a vet, a simple procedure that's over before your pet really notices. We stock three families here, Standard ISO, TapSense, and ThermaSense, and each one comes with free lifetime registration in the United Pet Club pet registry already included.
How a little chip does a big job
There's no battery inside a microchip, and it won't tell you where your pet has wandered off to. What it holds is a tiny glass capsule with a unique ID code, sitting between the shoulder blades, readable for as long as your pet lives. If a vet, an SPCA branch, or a council animal control officer scans a lost pet, that code comes up and brings your contact details along with it, straight from the registry behind the chip.
Every chip we offer meets ISO 11784/11785, the international standard for animal microchips, so standard scanners at clinics and shelters in most parts of the world will pick it up. We register our chips with ICAR too, the International Committee for Animal Recording, and each order comes with a free QR pet ID tag for the collar, a nice backup if whoever finds your pet doesn't happen to have a scanner on them.
Not quite sure which chip would suit your pet best? Have a look through our microchip comparison guide, it lays Standard ISO, TapSense, and ThermaSense out side by side.
Three families, one shared registry
Standard ISO
Our simplest option, built to ISO 11784/11785 for permanent identification, and it will read on a standard scanner whether you're at home or travelling.
TapSense
Everything Standard ISO offers, with mobile tap access added on top, so a smartphone can read your pet's details just as easily as a scanner would. Available as TapSense or TapSense Core, each in a few sizes.
ThermaSense
Brings identification and built-in temperature sensing together, which can be a real help with health monitoring. Available as ThermaSense or ThermaSense X, each in a few sizes.
What we think makes our chips worth choosing
ISO standard
FDX-B certified and built to ISO 11784/11785, so it reads on the scanners already used by vets, SPCA branches, and councils.
ICAR registered
Registered with ICAR, the standard the veterinary profession leans on internationally for microchips.
Free lifetime plan
Registration stays free, and so does every update after that, for as long as your pet is with you. Nothing ever needs renewing.
Small size
Both the chip and the needle are kept small, so the implant itself is quick and gentle no matter your pet's size.
Environmentally friendly
A reusable injector is offered separately to the needle, which helps keep single-use plastic to a minimum.
Upgraded registry
If you would like a bit more than the free plan, extras like scan notifications or last-search details can be added on.
A registry that helps bring pets home
Every chip we sell arrives already linked to the United Pet Club pet registry, which vets, SPCA branches, and council staff are able to search around the clock, and we take part in the AAHA universal microchip lookup as well. If you've found a lost pet, a free microchip lookup is there for anyone, no account required. Registration stays free for life, you're welcome to update your details whenever you move or change numbers, and on some plans you'll be notified as soon as your pet's chip or tag is scanned.
If your pet already has a chip through someone else, that's absolutely fine, you can still register the microchip number with us, or have a read of what free registration includes before you get going.
Questions we hear from pet owners here
Do I need to microchip my dog in New Zealand?
For newly registered dogs, yes, the National Dog Database has required microchipping since 2006. Your local council handles the annual dog registration side of things alongside that, and the two work together rather than replacing one another. Registering an ISO chip with United Pet Club won't cost you anything, so that part is taken care of at no extra charge.
Can a microchip show me where my pet has got to?
It can't, unfortunately, there's simply no battery or GPS inside one. It only holds an ID number, which gets read once your pet is brought in to a vet, SPCA branch, or council pound. If live tracking is what you're after, a separate GPS collar or tag would suit you better.
What is it that makes a chip an ISO chip?
It meets ISO 11784/11785, the international standard that lets any properly equipped scanner read it, no matter which country or company it came from. That's part of why a pet chipped here can still be identified if it ends up lost overseas, and the reverse holds too.
Which of your chips would suit my pet?
Standard ISO is a solid, straightforward choice if permanent identification is all you're after. TapSense might suit you better if you'd like pet details readable by a smartphone tap as well as a standard scanner. ThermaSense is worth a look if temperature sensing alongside identification would be useful, say for an older pet or a breeding programme.
Would vets and shelters around New Zealand recognise a United Pet Club chip?
They would, yes. Our chips meet ISO 11784/11785 and carry ICAR registration, the same standards used across the industry, so any vet, SPCA branch, or council scanner built for standard microchips will read ours without any bother.
Keen to get your pet sorted?
Get in touch about ordering microchips for the household or your practice, or pop a chip you already have into the free United Pet Club pet registry.