Some pet microchips may not be active after Texas company closes

Animal shelters and veterinarian clinics around the country are telling pet owners that a major animal microchipping company is no longer in business.

The Texas-based microchip and registration company Save This Life went inactive, according to Texas tax records. Pets listed on Save This Life’s pet registry were delisted from the American Animal Hospital Association’s national database. 

The American Kennel Club recently shared a post that said in part, "If your dog or cat has a microchip number that starts with 991 or 900164 then it could be a Save This Life microchip. Save This Life suddenly closed, and your pet may not be protected."

A pet microchip, about the size of a large grain of rice, uses passive radio-frequency identification. When lost pets are brought to shelters, a scanner can get the information on the microchip and allow the shelter workers to identify the pet owner.

If you're unsure which company your cats or dogs' chips are registered with, you can go to your local veterinarian office, a local police station, or even a local animal shelter and they can scan your animal. 

Then you take check the number by using the AAHA Universal Microchip Lookup Tool at this link.

If you discover your pet's microchip was registered to the company that ceased operations, you'll need to register with a different company such as Home Again, Avid, AKC and 24Petwatch. The number can be registered with more than one database.

Regardless of what company you use, it's a good idea to periodically check your pets' microchip to make sure your contact information is up to date. A traditional collar and tag is also still a good idea for your pet.



(AP Photo Ross D. Franklin)