# Microchips



## obxdog (Aug 21, 2004)

Be sure when you get your dog microchipped you know what kind of service you are getting for you money.
Point in case: A dog came into a Vet's office for a check-up, shots and microchipped. The Vet, before microchipping, decided to do a scan on the dog. Lo and behold it had an exiting chip. When the owners were told this they explained dog was a stray that had been hanging around the neighborhood for several months and they decided to adopt it. 
The problem is the manufacturer of this particular microchip's policy was not to notify previous owner, but just give information to person calling in chip data. 
AVMA's policy, as with all medical data is that it is confidential. That being said Vet's only alternative was to give information to people who brought dog in, and let them do with it as they wish.
Not all chip manufacturer's follow this policy, but according to AVMA it has become a problem when it is. Just saying make sure chip manufacturer responsibility is to call you if chip# is scanned, or chip is of little value.


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## TANK (Oct 25, 2007)

what brand was the chip Home again or avid?


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## obxdog (Aug 21, 2004)

This is by know means an endorsement for Home Again, because I am not sure what their policy is, but I do know it was not a Home Again chip. There are now quite a few microchip manufacturers available to Vets. The scanner problem of the past has been taken care of, all scanners now being manufactured can read all chips. What happens after chip has been read should be your main concern


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## Guest (Mar 28, 2008)

Does anyone know a chip manufacturer whose policy clearly states if contacted by a vet (or anyone else) they will contact the registered owner. This was a great post. I didn't know some (most) companies and vets won't notify the registered owner of the dog. I didn't know HIPPA applied to dogs! Why the h**l 
would you pay for a chip they will never call you if found?!

Brad


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## obxdog (Aug 21, 2004)

Yes: your pets medical records are confidential, only you can release information per AVMA. This is what has caused an uproar in several localities. Several localities want vet's to release rabies and medical information to them so than use it to track down pet owners who have not purchased tags required by that locality. As far as chips, if manufacturer's policy is to get location and persons name who has dog then do a follow-up call to you it relieve's vet of any conflict of interest. Only in similar situations described in my original post does it become a problem, suprisingly it happens quite often.


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## T. Mac (Feb 2, 2004)

obxdog said:


> Yes: your pets medical records are confidential, only you can release information per AVMA. This is what has caused an uproar in several localities. Several localities want vet's to release rabies and medical information to them so than use it to track down pet owners who have not purchased tags required by that locality. As far as chips, if manufacturer's policy is to get location and persons name who has dog then do a follow-up call to you it relieve's vet of any conflict of interest. Only in similar situations described in my original post does it become a problem, suprisingly it happens quite often.


While the above is commendable, the question becomes, to whom do the records belong. I believe that most courts would agree that if they belong to anyone, they would belong to the "OWNER" of the dog and that the microchip would indicate that the dog was owned by someone other than the client. Hence knowing that the client was not in fact the owner of the dog, the vet could be liable or an accessory if the dog was stolen. It is not uncommon for trainers to provide vet care to the dogs under their care, yet I would expect any vet that provided care to one of my dogs to provide me the details of that care. 

It would seem that the right thing (and legally responsible thing) to do for a vet would be to at least call the phone number provided by the chip registry to at least confirm the status of the dog. 


T. Mac


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## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

I know Avid registration is once and forever and Home again has to be renewed. Also, with Avid the chip buyer is notified by default as being sold that group of chips if the owner does not register the chip. If the dog is lost, and the owner did not register the chip, the buyer (breeder, vet) will be notified. If the owner has moved and not registered they will be out of luck. If I as the buyer and owner do not register the chip to myself, I can't post the dog's number as lost. I have to register for this service. Make sure you pay the money and register your chip.


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## Chris S. (Dec 15, 2004)

I don’t remember all the details exactly but the AKC has a recovery program for any chip or tattoo. Its around $10 for lifetime registration and they will call the dog owners or vet on record to get the pet back to the proper owners.


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## Chris S. (Dec 15, 2004)

http://www.akccar.org/enroll/index.cfm

Companion Animal Recovery


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