If your pet arrives at a veterinary clinic, shelter or pound, the staff there will scan its microchip. Your pet’s unique 15-digit code will allow vets, shelter workers and specific government officials to access your contact details. This is the most direct way for them to let you know your pet is safe and found, and to organise with you a time to pick them up. If your details are out of date, it will take longer to be reunited with your pet.
Before they can be adopted, any pet in Victoria will be microchipped. A small, inert device is inserted between the shoulder blades. This device emits no signal and is completely harmless. It contains a fifteen-digit code unique to the animal. This code, when scanned, corresponds to a profile on one of Victoria’s six pet databases. A full list of these databases can be found on our Lost and Found page. All pet databases communicate with each other, so owners need only register on one. This profile can be updated at any time by the pet owner, for example when moving house, changing phone numbers, or when the pet finds a new home or family.
The databases store the pet’s name, birthdate, breed and sex, and the owner’s contact details, such as phone number and address. Only the pet owner and accredited professionals (vets, shelters and some government officials) will be able to access this information.
To check or update your pet’s microchip details, enter the 15-digit code into petaddress.com.au. You’ll find this code on your pet’s vaccination card, microchip certificate and desexing certificate, all of which you should have received when adopting your pet. Alternatively, if your pet is a patient of ours, we will be able to look up their microchip number, or scan it at your next appointment.
http://petaddress.com.au/ is a mega-database, compiling the data from three microchip registries. These registries are: Australasian Animal Registry; PetSafe; and our registry of choice, Central Animal Records. Enter your animal’s microchip number in PetAddress’s search bar. The website will then direct you to your pet’s microchip registry website, from which you will be able to update your contact details. On the registry website, you will also be able to request new collar tags and registration certificates for your records.
You will require a username and password to access your pet’s details. Make sure you save these with your pet paperwork, e.g. the microchip and desexing certificate, Parasite Prevention paperwork and vaccination card, and pet insurance information.
Remember, any pet can be microchipped, not just dogs and cats. Birds, ferrets, rabbits, and reptiles can all end up separated from their families. If you have an exotic pet, be sure to update its microchip details just as you would your dog or cat’s.
And for more information about microchips, visit our pet microchipping page.