Microchipping

Companion Animal Microchipping

AVMA Provides Resources on Animal Microchipping
The AVMA has released two resources on microchipping of animals: a backgrounder and answers to frequently asked questions. The backgrounder provides information on microchip types and standards, and the benefits and challenges of using the devices. The frequently asked questions include what a microchip is, how it is implanted into an animal, and what type of information it contains. Topics also addressed include whether implanted microchips cause cancer and whether the benefits of microchipping outweigh the risks. You can also click here for more information about microchipping in Colorado.

ReadAllChips.org
The newly formed Coalition for Reuniting Pets and Families is asking that chip and scanner manufacturers and marketers permit the use of a scanner that can read all microchips--and that such a scanner be made readily available to shelters, animal control officers and veterinarians throughout the country.

AAHA Offers Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool
Combined with a collar and current name tag, a microchip increases the likelihood of a lost pet being safely reunited with its owner. However, even with a microchip scanner, identifying the correct pet recovery registry to contact can be challenging.

To alleviate the guesswork for veterinary hospitals, animal control facilities, and shelter staff members, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has created the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool, a free, internet-based resource that assists with microchip identification, helping reunite pets and owners by checking participating pet recovery services’ registries to determine which registry should be contacted. The AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool can be accessed online at www.petmicrochiplookup.org.

The Association has been working with microchipping and pet recovery industry leaders for the past year on the development of this new tool. The participating companies include AKC CAR, HomeAgain, Petlink by Datamars and resQ by Bayer.

The AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool works by checking the databases of participating pet recovery services to determine which has registration information available for a microchip. Once a microchip identification number is entered into the tool, within seconds a list of all the registries with microchip registration information available, along with the registries’ contact information, will appear in chronological order; the registry with the most recent update appears first. If the microchip has not been registered with any participating pet recovery service, the result returned will default to the microchip’s manufacturer or distributor. While the tool will not return the pet owner information contained in the registries’ databases, it will identify which registries should be contacted when a lost pet is scanned and a microchip is found.

AAHA and the Coalition for Reuniting Pets and Families encourage all veterinary practices, shelters, and animal control facilities to bookmark www.petmicrochiplookup.org, and use it every time a lost pet is scanned.

For more information about the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool, please visit www.petmicrochiplookup.org.

Large Animal Microchipping

Equine Science Working Group
The Equine Science Working Group was formed by the American Horse Council to make recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the identification of horses under the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

Equine Science Working Group Report to the NAIS Subcommittee (PDF)
NAIS Recommendations to USDA, August 1, 2006 (PDF)