CLEVELAND — Animal advocates are encouraging pet owners to check their pets’ microchips after one company abruptly shut down.
According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) microchip registry, Texas-based Save This Life was removed from the database on January 24. That’s when Save This Life seemingly ended its operations and likewise disconnected pet owners’ contact information from national registries.
All 3 of Matt Spencer’s dogs are microchipped. He said it gives him peace of mind if any of the pets went missing.
“I’m not sure what brand they are, but after you told me, I’m going to be calling my vet to make sure they’re chipped with the right microchip,” said Spencer.
“If we ever lost them, that would be devastating. So if they do ever run away, I want to be able to find them immediately or have someone return them to the vet and have the vet call me."
Other pet owners told News 5 that their animals came from shelters that automatically embedded the microchips.
“Knowing that the dog has the chip in there, and I could locate him, it’s definitely a little peace of mind,” said Chuck Valenches.
Pet microchips use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to store unique ID numbers on a device the size of a grain of rice. The chips are typically embedded in dogs or cats with a shot in the back of the neck or between their shoulder blades.
Most veterinarians have electric scanners to read the microchips and can search the ID numbers in a database for owner contact information.
“This is something that’s permanent, so you don’t have to worry about them losing a collar or losing a tag,” said Dr. Yesenia Garcia-Vega, an associate veterinarian at West Park Animal Hospital. “It’s very routine, and we do recommend it.”
In 2023, News 5 highlighted “Honey,” a German shepherd brought to West Park Animal Hospital as a stray. When the vets scanned the dog for a microchip and eventually made contact with her last registered owner, they discovered she was a service dog missing from California for two years.
WATCH THAT INCREDIBLE STORY:
RELATED: 'Homeward Bound': Missing service dog from California found 2 years later in Cleveland
“We don’t know how the dog got all the way out here, but we were able to reunite them with the family,” Dr. Garcia-Vega recalled.
In that case, Honey’s owners continuously updated the dog’s microchip registration with new addresses and phone numbers.
“Sometimes [owners] will forget to register or update information like their phone number or their address. So that’s also a really important part. You just want to make sure all that information is up to date,” Dr. Garcia-Vega explained.
IS MY PET MICROCHIPPED?
If you’re unsure whether your pet is microchipped, your vet can easily scan the animal to find out. If a chip is present, an electric scanner will display the unique ID number.
You can use the AHAA online microchip lookup tool to see if the chip is registered and if your contact information is up to date. CLICK ON THIS LINK to go to the website.
WHAT IF MY PET’S MICROCHIP IS NOT REGISTERED OR OUTDATED?
If the information is not current, you can update your pet’s registration using a registration website.
Some are free and some require a registration fee. Here are a few options:
WHAT IF I USE A 'SAVE THIS LIFE' MICROCHIP?
If you know your pet’s microchip was registered with Save This Life, you do NOT need a new microchip. You can use any of the above links to re-register the chip with a new company.
West Park Animal Hospital offers on-site registration with its microchips. The hospital also provides an ID tag for the pet and ID card for owners.
Dr. Garcia-Vega explained the procedure takes seconds and can be done on its own or at the same time as a spay or neuter operation.
She said it’s one of the best ways to make sure lost pets are returned home.
“It’s something really scary and sad for a lot of families, so having them microchipped gives you that peace of mind, too,” she said. “A little extra safety net to be able to reunite families with their pets.”
