Pet owners are asked to check their pets' microchip registrations after a major microchip company abruptly shut down.
Information and data for owners who were using “Save This Life” will no longer show up if their pet is lost.
The company shut down abruptly, and its online databases are offline.
Dr. Mike Grace with Flying Cloud Animal Hospital said the chips still work and are safe, but if they’re scanned, the pet owner’s contact information won’t show up.
That’s a problem if your cat or dog goes missing.
The best thing to do now is first to find out your chip number by contacting the vet or clinic that implanted it.
If it’s not from “Save This Life,” you don’t need to do anything.
But if it is, you just need to re-register that chip with another company. Re-registering is free and easy.
Just go to FreePetChipRegistry.com.
Vets say all of this is a good reminder to update the contact info associated with your chip or to simply get a chip in the first place.
“Get your pets chipped. It definitely can help get them back to you,” said Grace.
Animal shelters warn one in three dogs and cats will be lost at some point in their lives.
“Every animal should be microchipped. All of my animals are microchipped. Collar and tag, and an accurate tag is actually the most effective way to get your animal back home if they’re lost,” said Dr. Graham Brayshaw, Animal Humane Society Chief Medical.
Even if your pet is microchipped, veterinarians still recommend putting a collar and tag on your pet. Make sure the tag includes the pet’s name and your phone number.