Microchip ownership issues - case 2

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Bob Russell — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 17:24:52 GMT

I take pretty much everything a client says with a pinch of salt. Unless I see an urgent welfare issue or clearly criminal behaviour, I try not to get dragged into things that others (database company) are paid to deal with.

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Neil Wheadon — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 16:22:41 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]I was under the impression it had been collected from a rehoming centre[/quote]

Yes and the rescue centre should have sorted it out surely, so can you believe the client? Even if from a rescue centre it must have come from somewhere though admit the chances of 'lost' are lower.

Neil

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Joyce Whitehead — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 16:13:56 GMT

Well I always check the chip database to see where it is registered (owner, vet etc, as a number have never been registered). If it is stolen or been lost, it should flag up on the database. The I pass the chip number and database number to the new owner.

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Bob Russell — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 15:27:19 GMT

I was under the impression it had been collected from a rehoming centre.

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Neil Wheadon — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 14:02:47 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]Give the owner the chip number and the phone number for PetLog or Anibase[/quote]

But if it was a stolen dog / lost dog that they fancy keeping, they'll just ignore it or am I being particularly dim here?

Neil

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Bob Russell — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 13:50:07 GMT

No!

Give the owner the chip number and the phone number for PetLog or Anibase. We have a list of which chip numbers are registered with which database on the inside of the cupboard door in the consultation room!

The owner does all the work!

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Neil Wheadon — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 13:45:46 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]Give the chip number and contact details for the microchip register. No further involvement![/quote]

OK this sounds remarkably easy

You're saying

1) we call the Petlog/other providers

Give them the chip details and the new owners details

2) They then contact the original owner to see if they still own the dog

3) If not then Petlog contact the new owner and re-register (Or do they even bother doing that - should we ask the new owner to contact Petlog in a months time to check all is well?)

Neil

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Bob Russell — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 13:32:46 GMT

Give the chip number and contact details for the microchip register. No further involvement!

Generally the microchip company will write to the last known address. If there is no response within a set period the registration is transferred to the new owner.

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Virginia Campbell — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 20:36:22 GMT

This sort of situation happens reasonably often with us as microchipping here in NI has been complusory for a few years, and at the start of this many practices including ours offered free chipping with the Dogs Trust chips. So uptake was high, even amongst the owners of dogs that had never been to a vet before or since. This population of dogs also seems to change hands quite frequently (bought and sold on gumtree for £200+ as a pup, asking price reduces to £40-80 after that. All the usual "reasons" eg new landlord doesn't allow dogs, O shocked that dog's behaviour less than perfect despite never going to training classes or getting walked properly, blah blaah blah).

New owner NEVER has a clue about chip details, old owner doesn't give a stuff. We used to go to great lengths with the old contact details but don't any more as it's such a waste of time. We ring the numbers, they are either defunct or nobody ever answers (presumably because they don't trust a strange number calling as they fear it's someone to whom they owe money or the cops), so we leave one message then give the Anibase/Petlog phone number and animal's chip number to the new owner. They ring this, register their desire to change ownership, then two weeks later if the dog has not been reported lost or stolen in the interim, it's theirs.

On the rare occasion when the old owner does answer the phone, they are often a bit curt, "yeah I sold it two years ago. Click. Brrrrr...." None of them so far have expressed any interest or care where their former pet has ended up.

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Joyce Whitehead — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 14:19:32 GMT

In these circumstances I tend to give the owner the chip and company details only. As the company policies are usually that they will attempt to contact the previous owner before changing any details. And if it was a stolen pet the chip company should have that flagged.

We had one (a pedigree pointer) rehomed as the previous owner said it was a rubbish worker so they were going to shoot it. He gave it away to an acquaintance who brought it to us to chip. On scanning pre chipping we discovered a chip already there, registered to someone completely different. We contacted them with the permission of the new owner and they were the breeder who had no idea the dog had gone through several homes. It ended well, she stayed in her new home and settled well, and the new owners had the benefit of finding out her breeding etc.

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Neil Wheadon — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 13:11:31 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]Explain to the new owners, and then phone the original owners[/quote]

Which is in fact what I did, however it was an answerphone. I asked that they contacted the surgery to give permission for the 'new owners' to contact them so that permission could be sought to exchange the microchip details. All quite time consuming.

Neil

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Hannah Wynne Richards — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 12:40:18 GMT

Explain to the new owners, and then phone the original owners. You may find that they are desperately searching for a much loved pet, or alternatively that they have given it to the rescue centre for rehoming

Wynne

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

Neil Wheadon — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 11:53:52 GMT

This one wasn't 'lost' it was reported as rehomed by a rescue centre, and the chip details were registered with the original owner. The quandary here is what to do as I can't give the new owners the original owners contact details to simply sort it out, and that's if I believe the story.

Neil

Well aside from calling the rescue centre and simply asking why didn't they sort this out which they should have done.

RE: Microchip ownership issues - case 2

grumpyoldman — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 11:49:36 GMT

we always find that lost chipped and unchipped dogs where the contact details are not up to date are better reunited by a £3.00 boosted Facebook post. It reaches 20 000 people in 24 hours and someone is always able to contact the former owner ,who is found if they want to be found.