microchip

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I'm pretty ticked right now, but maybe it's just the way it is and I shouldn't be so irritated.

I adopted my dog about a year and a half ago from a local shelter. I moved, and finally got around to calling to update the contact info. I went to the vet and asked them to pull the chip # while I was there, which they did. Called Petwatch - the chip # is registered to what we finally figured out is the previous owner, and the dog also has another chip that was registered to me. They said the shelter probably couldn't read the original chip so put in another one. So now have to fill out a change of ownership and get a letter from the vet verifying I'm the owner. Ok, fine, not big deal. The issue is I have to pay a charge to update any contact info other than e-mail. They said if someone calls to report they have my dog, they will contact me by e-mail only, no other contact. I guess that's fine - but I'm kind of worried since everyone and their brother around here goes on about how important microchipping is, keep it all updated, yada yada.

I guess I'm irritated because I feel like I'm being held hostage -- I have to pay a fee to transfer the first chip (not my error), shouldn't it be a once and done? So now I'm debating paying the 20-something to change it all now and letting it expire - but then they would only contact me via e-mail (which now I kind of don't trust them about for some reason, I don't know why). Or I could pay 84-something for lifetime "membership" in the lost dog service, they would try to track me down in that case rather than just sending a once-and-done e-mail.

What do you guys think? Is the whole microchipping thing all it's cracked up to be? (i.e. should I suck it up and pay the lifetime membership fee) Or is this a racket and just screw it. She does have her dog ID tag and city license tag on her collar. (I am debating getting a collar with ID embroidered on it, too -- haven't done that yet).

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Comments (5)

murraysmom Zone 6a OH
8 years ago
It does stink to have to pay that, but I would go ahead and do the lifetime. Yes, your dog has a collar with tags but how many times have you seen in the lost and found that the dog got out and wasn't wearing it's collar. Or a dog is found with a collar on but no tags. They do fall off. I have found dog tags twice just laying in the street. I returned them to their owners who had no clue the tags had fallen off. All this to say, I would do the most possible to ensure my dog could get back to me if at all possible.
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Yes it stinks but I think your dog is worth more $20 to you so you have to suck it up and pay it.

I have my dog's microchip number only phone so I can call immediately if he ever got lost (I think he would be stolen in a second because of his breed).

I get alerts from my service about lost dogs with a picture so it is worth making sure the service is optimized.
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eccentric
8 years ago
I would pay for the lifetime. Once I picked up some tags from the street on a very snowy day - by a lamp post - so you can no doubt figure out what they had on them. However, they turned out to be OUR dog's tags - and we didn't even realize he had lost them.

Our dog is chipped and every once in a while someone at our vet clinic will run a machine over his body to make certain that the chip is still functioning.
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
If your pet goes missing, closely monitor your E-mail.

I don't see the big problem.

Someone has to pay the administrative costs of maintaining a contact database. Blaming the clinic does not mean that the Chip folks should not collect a fee from someone. Who do you think should pay?

If someone steals your license plate or registration sticker off your car, who do you think pays for replacement?
porkchop_z5b_MI
Original Author
8 years ago
I went ahead and paid for the lifetime. Fortunately they only charged me one fee, for the dog not the chip. So everything's up to date, that's a relief.