Which Microchip Registry?

[Adrianne Matzkin]

The girls are up for their annual microchip registry renewal. HomeAgain is charging $17.99 per doodle. Anyone know of a good registry that either is free or costs less?

There are mixed reviews about ResQ chips and the company's record keeping of the pets info. 

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

Oh, I did not see the fine print. Will have to look. So if you don't pay, you only lose the extra services?

[F, Calla & Luca]

Home Away must be cleaning up with lots of people automatically paying every year when they don't have to.

[Pam & Trixie]

I think so too. I asked dh if he paid the bill...He was going to this morning & read it & saw that you dont have to pay each year. Im sure tons of people pay that fee...We almost did. That is terrible of the company

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

But you do get the extra services, I guess that's what you pay for with HomeAgain. Personally, I would rather skip two McDonnald's meals a year to have money for microchip registration. If my dog is lost, I would appreciate all the alerts that HomeAgain sends to registered people.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

This whole topic really bothers me.  Shortly after this discussion The last microchip discussion , I was at the grocery store.

My county had an information booth set up to discuss dog licensing.  It was mainly a PR and information booth since my counties shelter has a really bad reputation, was cited by the state for numerous violations, but had since built a brand new facility ( the other one was over a 100 years old and deplorable), and made major changes to their polices~ so they claim.

Anyway, I got into a short discussion about microchipping with them.  They told me, it was all worthless. Unless the dog was re-registared every year the companies would NOT give out the information. I argued with them and they had some pretty good arguments of their own.

" Look, we do this everyday. We know what we are talking about.  We have dogs come in with chips, but no way in hell can we get any information from these companies unless your information is current.  We have  heard, what you just told us over and over, and we can tell  you, it is just not true"

The county has  no vested interest in these companies so I tend to believe, for once, they were telling me the truth through their own experiences.

Numerous times on Craigslist, I have seen ads stating they found a dog.  The dog has a chip, but the chip is not current.

I paid the money.  To me, like insurance, I hope I wasted it, and never to use it.  But, if I fail to find my dog, because I was so worried about $17.99, I would be just sick.  If it is a scam, I supposed I've been scammed but at least I gave it my all.

I still, wonder the same, but I have to go with the ads I see and the people who work at the county shelter.

My bill is paid

[F, Calla & Luca]

Wow. But Avid doesn't ask for any money to update. Just the one time payment. One of us should call in a number and say we found a dog and give a chip number and see what happens. Any takers?

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

Where is the fine print?

[Pam & Trixie]

Maybe those dogs were not registered in the 1st place. We had Trixie chipped at 1 year...We had to pay & send in the initial fee...it was not paid by the breeder or vet.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I do think many people overlook registering their puppies when they get them home. Some of the breeders buy batches of chips and implant them or they may have the vet do it.

[Christine & Shelby]

One of my good friends in on the Shelter board here and she knows for a fact that the local "puppy store" chips all the dogs and advertises that they are chipped.  However, customers leave with their puppies and assume that the puppy store added their information to the registration and they don't.  So - the customers are leaving thinking their pet is protected... when it's not.

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

I agree, Auggie came with Avid, but it was not registered. The breeder gave us the paperwork and I did it myself. One of my friends volunteers at a local shelter and she mentioned to me that many times they find a dog with a chip, they call the phone number and it does not work. Or they get somebody who tells them they gave the dog to somebody else. People just don't keep the info current.....then there is no use in chipping their animals.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Sandy, I agree that is part one of the argument.  That was one of the points I made to these county workers.  They said, there is more.  "Unless folks register these chips, the companies will NOT GIVE OUT ANY INFORMATION"  

We call just about every week when we find a chip and are denied information.   Companies are not required to keep the information either! 

So, that is why this topic bothers me. I have no idea what to think.

So, someone who had their dog chipped, registered once, and never made contact with the company again, needs to take up F., on her suggestion.

Someone call in a number.  Have several of the popular companies checked out. I would, but Spud is current.