National Microchipping Month: Ensuring Your Pet's Safety and Security

June is National Microchipping Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of microchipping pets. Every year, thousands of pets go missing, and without proper identification, many of them are never reunited with their owners. Microchipping is a simple and effective way to ensure that your furry friend can always find their way back home.

Microchipping provides a permanent form of identification that cannot be lost, removed, or damaged. Unlike collars and tags, which can fall off or become unreadable, a microchip stays with your pet for life. This tiny device, about the size of a grain of rice, holds a unique identification number that is linked to your contact information in a national database. This means that if your pet ever gets lost, a quick scan at a veterinary clinic or animal shelter can help bring them back to you.

Taking Action

National Microchipping Month is the perfect time to ensure your pet is microchipped and that their information is up to date. Here are some steps you can take:

• Schedule a Microchipping Appointment: If your pet isn't already microchipped, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to have the procedure done.
• Check Existing Microchips: If your pet is already microchipped, take a moment to check their information is up to date, use our free microchip checker to find out which database your pet is registered to
• Spread the Word: Use National Microchipping Month as an opportunity to educate friends and family about the importance of microchipping.
• Give the Gift of Pet Protection by subscribing to our Lost & Found package: Packed with comprehensive features and benefits, our Lost & Found package is the UK's leading missing pet service that offers peace of mind to pet owners nationwide.

Common Misconceptions About Microchipping

• Microchips are tracking devices: Microchips do not have GPS capabilities and cannot track your pet's location. They simply store a unique identification number that is linked to your contact information.
• Once chipped you have nothing else to do: You must ensure your pet's microchip has been registered to a DEFRA compliant microchip database like Animal Tracker. This ensures that your details are linked to your pet's microchip and that they are correct. You should update these details with the database should you move house, change your phone number or no longer have the pet.
• The procedure is painful: The microchipping process is quick and causes minimal discomfort, similar to a routine vaccination.
• Microchipping is expensive: Microchipping is a cost-effective procedure, especially when considering the potential benefits of being reunited with a lost pet. Many animal shelters and veterinary clinics offer microchipping services at affordable rates.
• The chip contains your name, address and phone number: A microchip contains a unique serial number and nothing more. That number links to a secure, DEFRA-compliant database such as identibase, where your contact details are held and access to that database is strictly controlled.

• There's no need to microchip pets living indoors: In England, all dogs and cats must be microchipped by law, regardless of whether they go outdoors. In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland dogs must be chipped too. Indoor pets go missing more often than people expect. A startled cat can dart through an open window. A dog can bolt from an open door in seconds. It’s in their nature to explore - the chip is your safety net if they do.

Microchipping is a simple yet powerful way to protect your pet and increase the chances of a happy reunion if they ever get lost. This June, take the time to ensure your furry friend is microchipped and their information is up to date. By doing so, you're taking a crucial step in responsible pet ownership and contributing to the overall safety and security of pets everywhere. Happy National Microchipping Month!

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