National Check the Chip Day: What You Can Do

Every August 15, pet lovers and animal advocates come together for National Check the Chip Day in the United States – a heartfelt reminder to double-check that our furry companions’ microchips are registered and current. It might seem small, but taking a few minutes to update those details could be what turns a frantic search into a tearful, joyful reunion, instead of heartbreak that lasts far too long.

Why Check the Chip?

With millions of pets going missing yearly, only those with registered microchips stand a real chance of finding their way home. Microchips are safe, tiny chips implanted under the skin, each bearing a unique number linked to the owner's contact information in national databases. Unlike collars or tags, microchips are permanent ID solutions that can’t be lost or removed through daily pet antics.

However, a microchip is only effective when its information is current. People often forget to update their address or phone number after moving, unintentionally creating barriers to reunion. National Check the Chip Day is a yearly reminder for all pet parents: log in, review, and refresh your pet’s microchip registration.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Only about 60% of microchipped pets have properly registered chips.

• Microchipped dogs are returned to their families twice as often as non-chipped pets.

• For cats, that number jumps even higher compared to alternatives. [Source: AVMA]

What Pet Owners Can Do

August 15 is ideal to tick through this checklist:

• Scan your pet’s microchip: Your vet can do this in seconds.
• Look up registration: Use the chip number to find the correct registry online.
• Update your details: Check your contact info, emergency numbers, and address.
• Ask your vet about microchipping: If your pet isn’t chipped yet, it’s a simple and quick procedure.

Big Impact Beyond Your Household

Microchipping doesn’t just protect family pets—it helps reduce overcrowding in shelters. Strays without proper identification often languish in shelters or risk euthanasia, but a registered chip means faster reunions and lower shelter stress.

Ideas for Pet Lovers: Do More for Strays & Community Pets

Celebrating National Check the Chip Day can go beyond your own pet:

• Organize or join microchipping clinics: Bring affordable or free microchipping to your neighborhood.
• Share lost pet alerts: Use social media to help reunite lost animals.
• Educate others: Remind friends, family, and local groups about the importance of chips.
• Volunteer at shelters: Help scan stray pets for chips or assist with updating databases.
• Support rescue organizations: Donate needed supplies, time, or funds.

For those wanting to go further:

• Foster pets: Temporarily open your home to animals in need.
• Become a transporter: Help move pets to safety or adoption between shelters.
• Organize pet wellness events: Provide basic checkups, flea treatments, or grooming for strays.

They're Counting On Us

National Check the Chip Day is much more than a calendar note—it’s a call to kindness, action, and responsibility. By checking your pet’s chip and encouraging your community to do the same, you help protect not just your furry family member, but the wider world of pets and animal lovers.

Spreading the word, updating microchips, and supporting wellness with quality care products are all steps toward a safer, more compassionate world for pets everywhere.

Let’s celebrate August 15 by being the reason more lost pets find their way back home.