Animal Microchipping

Animal Microchipping
For all of you animal lovers out there, I am sharing a recent experience.
I have two dogs a 10yo and a 6yo. Both have been “microchipped”.
Having relocated to Tasmania and at a recent local vet visit, I was advised I should update the home address of my dogs on the microchips.
The microchip contains only a 15 digit number (like a VIN) which points to your data held on a database “somewhere”.
In my case the microchip numbers were printed on the pedigree certificates along with reference to Dogs Queensland.
As I am now in Tasmania, I contacted Dogs Tasmania.
They advised me that microchip data is not their responsibility but the office person said they would look up the microchip details for me.
HORROR! There was no data recorded against either microchip.
Just in case things were handled a little differently in Tasmania, I contacted Dogs Queensland. They too had no data on any database they could access.
So there was no identifying information for my dogs except for the plastic tag from the local council which comes off with their collar.
Dogs Queensland told me that the microchip data was managed by the Australasian Animal Registry (AAR), a central body in NSW.
I contacted AAR and the explanation given was:
1.       The breeder takes the dog to the vet and microchipping is done during one of the early vaccinations.
2.       The vet staff submits the breeder’s personal details to AAR or gives the registration form to the breeder.
3.       After your purchase the owner details (you) are updated with AAR.
4.       There are a lot of opportunities for this process to not occur.
I have now registered my dogs with AAR for a small fee of $14 each.
 
Following my experience, I suggest taking your dog to the local council animal shelter and have the microchip number “read”.
Contact AAR to determine the current details held for your dog.

Thanks for that, both of our dogs are micro chipped, it would be interesting to see if they are properly recorded