Has this ever happened to anyone else?I was reading a thread on here today about lost pets and remembered that I ran across Bella's microchip certificate the other day. I did a google search and found a few places where you could put in the chip number (which is on her certificate) and see where it's registered. Every place that I've found says that it's an unregistered chip! I sent in the paperwork and the payment to have the chip registered in 2009 when it was put in. I know it's a two part process - pay the vet to put it in and register the chip with the company. I did both, but Avid dropped the ball.All these years I thought she was protected and her chip isn't linked to my information at all. Of course I don't have a cancelled check or anything after this time, so I can't prove that I sent payment. I guess my only recourse will be to re-register her chip. I'll call the company Monday and see what they say.

I did rescue for many years and started chipping dogs in 2000. I gave the owners instructions on registering the chip. A few years ago, one of my rehomed dogs was lost and the owner notified me, as required in my adoption contract. I called AVID. The owner had NEVER registered the microchip. AVID did allow me to give my information without charge, because the dog was lost at the time.I suspect a LOT of people don't register the microchips when the dogs are chipped at a shelter. The microchips from a shelter trace back to that shelter, as we buy them by the boxes.I guess if a person privately pays their vet for microchipping, they are laying out a nice chunk of change for the procedure, and may be more inclined to be sure to register it.Edit: This doesn't sound right, in re-reading it. I'm not saying you didn't register the chip. It's possible AVID isn't showing up in whatever search blocks you are finding on line. I wouldn't get too excited until you talk to AVID on Monday. Your dog should have a tag with the 800 number on it for AVID.There are several different registries. AKC has one, I think it's callED CAR - Companion Animal Recovery or something to that effect.Also, a number of years ago, Banfield came out with their own microchips. There was some kind of legal issue with it because the Banfield (Petsmart) microchips did not read on the same frequency as the AVID and Home Again microchips. I did not follow that closely, but there must have been some kind of settlement, because we (shelters) got a free scanner that not only reads the Banfield chips, but Home Again and AVID.It would be simpler if there was one microchip and one registry, but that would be too easy.

Have not had that problem with AVID. I suppose a computer entry error could be made by any of the companies, I think this serves as a suggestion to us all to lookup our own animals to see it they are in fact in the data base.As Wanda said, most of the unregistered chips we find are still registered as sold to the rescue. We have a cat this weekend (probably ran from the fireworks) with a Home Again chip registered to the city of Chicago. We have to wait till Monday to contact their agency to find out who adopted the cat.Hope this all gets straightened out.RE the different chips, it's not just Banfield, AVID, Home Again. I'm currently working with a client trying to get their dog legally transported to Greece. The EU requires a chip that is not commonly used in the US and the owner has to get it re-chipped with a special chip or carry a scanner that can read the chip that is implanted. AVID makes the EU compatible chip, but it's a pain keep multiple kinds and have the appropriate record keeping. Reminds me of Beta vs VHS with video recorders.Doug, DVM

I did a search on AAHA/AKC universal lookup tool and found Jill's chip to be unregistered too. A major problem here is that each company has a proprietary computer file and there was no single data base. AAHA and AKC has attempted to make a centralized data base to help with lost animals, but obviously there are some flaws in the system.

I registered my dogs microchips at no cost with: http://microchipregistry.foundanimals.org and http://freepetchipregistry.com

Re: the free registry - does your dog have a tag or something with a phone number for that particular registry? The thing is, the finder that scans and tries to trace the chip has to contact that registry to get the information.I know AVID gives a plastic tag with the microchip number imprinted on it. Those things break, and numbers wear off. I had rescue tags made with my phone number that went on all rescue dogs when they were placed, as a backup - if the owner was away, and the pet got lost, I could be called and retrieve the dog until the owner returned.I ended up having stainless tags also made up with the 800 number for avid. I just didn't see those plastic tags holding up over the long haul.

Avid microchip problem | Good Sam Community

20 Replies

AZPops
Explorer
Jul 22, 2013
I save all correspondence / receipts in a folder within in my email. This way I always have a copy should I need to prove payment, etc..

Pops
swift1972
Explorer
Jul 21, 2013
YOu can register any chip thru Home Again and I believe it is $14.99. Its a fantastic service, They send out the lost pet alerts, covers about $3000 for any accidents or vet trouble your pet gets into if it is lost, and free phone calls to the ASPCA poison hot line ($65 per phone call). Its worth every penny :) LVT 17 years
CA_POPPY
Explorer
Jul 13, 2013
On our NBC local news tonight there was a story about a chihuahua turned in to a rescue. He was scanned and they found an unregistered chip. For some reason they kept scanning and found a SECOND chip, which had the owner's info. The chi had been missing for two years and he was returned to that family. For some reason, I can't find the story online, but it shows the value of having a chip implanted if you're not sure.
dturm
Moderator
Jul 12, 2013
CA POPPY wrote:
I've heard of dogs that had more than one microchip, from different companies. Apparently, that is not a problem.

I just finished up this morning with my client who is going to Greece. I put the ISO 15 digit (I think) euro chip previously (available thru AVID but others have them too). If she had had a non-Euro approved chip, we would have implanted another.

This whole process was a pain for us and the client. When she is in Greece, she's going to get a passport from them so she won't have to go through this again.

Since AVID doesn't share their data base online, I'm going to voice my displeasure with their policy (not sure it will do any good :))

Doug, DVM
CA_POPPY
Explorer
Jul 12, 2013
I've heard of dogs that had more than one microchip, from different companies. Apparently, that is not a problem.
Dashonthedash
Explorer
Jul 12, 2013
I'm not that familiar with PetLink, since this is my first experience with them. I do like Home Again's Lost Dogs alerts, and I signed up to get alerts for lost dogs in my area. One time, there was a Shepherd from just around a corner that I knew. I wasn't the one who found him, but I was able to keep an eye out.

I just called AVID, and they do have Lily's registration. They don't link their database to the internet, so the numbers will not show up on other websites.
Wanderlost
Nomad II
Jul 12, 2013
Gary, Spot's chip is with PetLink, and Alex with Avid. I linked his with PetLink, since they have a far better online presence than Avid.
Dashonthedash
Explorer
Jul 07, 2013
Both Dash and Lily were registered with Avid, as were my earlier dogs. When I adopted Molly, she was already chipped and registered with Home Again, and the transfer was free, so I kept it. Recently, I had Shadow chipped by my vet. He uses a third chip registry, PetLink, and the registration was part of his fee, so now I have 3 dogs, all registered with different companies. Of course, I could register all 3 of them, for extra fees, at one of the 3, if I could figure out which one. Good luck with Bella's chip.

I used the AAHA site to check on the 3 dogs. They had Shadow and Molly there, but not Lily (the Avid dog). Curiously, Avid is the one registry that does not let you log on and manage the dog's profile (as well as your own). That's odd because I got brass ID tags from them years ago for both Dash and Lily. I think the problem is with their database.
Veronica
Explorer
Jul 07, 2013
I'll give Avid a call and see if it's registered through them. I got the same as otis-agnes when I tried the AAHA site, but tried another that specifically said it was an unregistered chip. :( Hopefully Avid has my info.
otis-agnes
Explorer
Jul 07, 2013
I just tried the AAHA/AKC website with Penny's chip #. It says "No information found. This is most likely a chip from AVID", which it is. Agnes