Microchipping

Every year more than 300,000 family pets get lost or go missing. If your pet is microchipped, anyone who finds your pet can have him/her quickly identified and on their way back to you, even if they manage to lose their collar. Microchipping is advised by the RSPCA, SSPCA and Dogs Trust. It is also a legal requirement for animals travelling abroad under DEFRA's Pet Travel Scheme. Tracer is invisable, can't be tampered with, and is the most commonly used method of pet identification used by vets.

Can any animal be microchipped?

The most common animals to be microchipped are cats, dogs and horses, but we also chip tortoises, birds, fish, ferrets, snakes and most other species. Zoos have been using microchips for years in many different species.

How do you microchip my pet?

The microchip, hardly bigger than a grain of rice, is designed to sit comfortably under your pets skin, usually under the loose skin at the back of the neck. It is implanted by injection, similar to when you pet has its vaccination. Once it is done it lasts a life time.

How does it work?

Once the microchip has been implanted, your pet's unique 15 digit microchip ID and your contact details are sent by the practice to Petlog, the UK's largest pet and owner database and call centre. After that there's nothing else to do, except to keep your contact details up to date, for example if you move house or change your phone number. If your pet is lost it's likely it will be taken to the police, dog warden, rescue centre or a veterinary practice, where your pet will be scanned. The microchip will emit your pet's unique number, and with a phone call to the Petlog secure database (open 24hrs a day, 365 days a year) your contact deatils will be given to the caller.

Why put your trust in Petlog?

Petlog, the Kennel Club Pet Identification Service, supports the records of over 3.5 million pets and their oweners.

Each year on average, an additional 450,000 new owners recognise the importance of having their pet permanently identified with a microchip and Petlog membership.

Petlog is on duty 24hrs a day 365 days a year.

A full time dedicated call centre team based in Buckinghamshire

On average 90,000 calls are received by Petlog every year from vets, animal wardens, local authorities, rescue centres, police and owners.

The Petlog 24/7 Lost and Found line helped reunite some 70,000 pets with their owners in 2005.

The Petlog support team works in partnership with the industry to help assist with special reunification cases - even if a pet were to go missing within hours of being microchipped, Petlog would be able the necessary information to assist reunification.

For more information

Please visit the www.petlog.org.uk website. To amend your registration details, please contact the Petlog organisation : email petlog@the-kennel-club.org.uk Telephone : 0870 606 6751.