National Check the Chip Day

Microchips greatly increase the chances that pets will be reunited with their families if they are lost or stolen…but a microchip only works if its registration information is accurate.

To remind pet owners to have their pets microchipped and to keep the registration information up-to-date, AVMA and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) joined together to create Check the Chip Day. With support from HomeAgain, we've been able to develop additional materials to promote the event.

Veterinarians:

Veterinarians, share this flyer (PDF) with your clients when you've checked their pet's chip; it will give them a handy record of their pet's microchip information. To promote both microchipping and the importance of keeping microchip registration information up-to-date, embed our microchipping infographic on your website or blog. AVMA members also have access to downloadable social media images, copy-and-paste social media posts, clinic tips for observing Check the Chip Day, and other ready-to-use tools in this member toolkit.

Pet owners:

Take advantage of this reminder:

  1. Make an appointment with your veterinarian for microchipping if your pet isn’t already microchipped (then make sure that your pet’s chip is immediately registered).
  2. Check your already-microchipped pet’s registration information in the microchip manufacturer’s database, and make sure it’s up-to-date.

Updating your pet’s microchip registration

To update your pet’s registration, you’ll need your pet’s microchip number. If you haven’t already created an account with the manufacturer, you’ll need to do that as well so you can access the registration in the future to update the information. Make sure that all of the information, particularly your phone number(s) and address, are correct.

There are many databases that allow you to register your pet’s microchip, but the one that really counts – the one that animal shelters and veterinarians will search – is the database maintained by the manufacturer of your pet’s microchip. AAHA’s Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool is linked to the registries of the majority of microchip manufacturers and allows a quick database search of any microchip made by these manufacturers. In addition, a number of public microchip registries have also been linked to the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool to make it easier to find a microchip’s registration.

Manufacturers and databases that participate in the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool:

Watch video: Meet Max: Why you should microchip your pet

Microchip manufacturers that do not participate in the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool:

Additional resources from AVMA:

Additional resources from AAHA:

Check the Chip Day video and promotional campaign made possible by a grant from HomeAgain.

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Check the chip

AVMA member toolkit

Check the chip infographic

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