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Microchip registration Canada-wide works the same way: the chip is only a number, and it brings a lost pet home only when that number is registered in a database with your current phone and address. The Ontario SPCA says it plainly. Microchips are only effective if they're registered, and owners have to keep their contact details up to date.
Here's the frustrating part. Plenty of chipped pets land at a shelter or clinic where the scan works perfectly and still leads nowhere, because nobody finished the registration, or the phone number on file is from two apartments ago. Below: how the chip and the registry fit together, how to find out which registry holds your pet's number, and what to update after a move.
What does a microchip actually do?
A microchip stores one ID number and nothing else. The Ontario SPCA describes it as a permanent, one-time procedure. A chip about the size of a grain of rice goes under the skin, it has no battery, and a scanner powers it for a moment so it can send its number.
It isn't a tracker. The Ontario SPCA is clear that microchips can't be used as tracking devices. A chip only helps once someone finds your pet, brings them to a vet clinic, shelter or animal services, and a scanner reads the number.
The chip holds a number. The registry turns that number into your name and phone number.
Why microchip registration Canada-wide is the step that matters
Registration is what connects the number to you, so it's the step that actually gets your pet home. When a finder brings your pet in, staff scan the chip and look the number up with the company holding the registration. If it was never registered, or the record still shows an old phone, the trail stops right there. That's why the Ontario SPCA tells owners to contact their microchip provider directly after a move or a new phone number.
It doesn't help that Canada has no single national pet microchip database. Several companies keep registries. A list from Alberta Animal Health Source names these organizations:
| Organization | Registry or brand |
|---|---|
| Pethealth Inc. | 24PetWatch |
| Datamars Inc. | PetLink |
| Petidco / Avid Canada | The Microchip Company |
| EIDAP Inc. | EIDAP |
| Microchip 4 Solutions Inc. | Microchip Solutions |
Which one has your pet's number depends on the chip and where it was implanted. A shelter, breeder or clinic may have registered it for you. Or they may have handed you a form that's still sitting in a kitchen drawer.
How do you find out where your pet's chip is registered?
Start with your paperwork, then ask your vet. The chip number is usually on adoption papers, a breeder's contract, a vet invoice or the little sticker sheet that came with the chip.
Look for a registration letter or email, too. Toronto Animal Services, for example, says owners who get a chip at its Chip Truck receive registration information by mail from 24-Hour Pet Watch.
Still not sure? Ask your vet to scan the chip at the next visit, so you have the number and know it still reads. The City of Toronto suggests having your vet scan for the chip at annual appointments anyway.
Once you know the registry, call them with the number and make sure the record shows your current name, phone, email and address. While you're on the line, add a second contact, like a family member or a friend, in case they can't reach you.
When should you update your microchip details?
Update the registry the same week any of your contact details change. The usual moments:
- You move, even across the street or to another unit in the same building.
- You get a new mobile number or switch your main email.
- You adopt a pet whose chip is still registered to a shelter, rescue or previous owner.
- Someone else becomes the main carer, for example after a separation.
- Your emergency contact has moved or changed numbers.
A quick check once a year, timed with your pet's checkup, catches most records that have quietly gone stale.
Chip, tag and licence: why use more than one?
Each kind of ID covers a gap the others leave. A collar tag can be read by any neighbour without a scanner, but collars come off. A chip stays for life but needs a scanner and a current registry record. And in Toronto, a City pet licence is required for cats and dogs; Toronto Animal Services asks for a current licence before it offers Chip Truck services.
| ID | Who can read it | Weak point |
|---|---|---|
| Collar tag with your phone | Anyone who finds your pet | Collars can slip off |
| Microchip | Clinics, shelters and animal services with a scanner | Useless if the registration is missing or old |
| City licence tag | Animal services in your city | Needs renewing and a collar |
Keep the chip number where you can find it fast
If your pet goes missing, you'll want the chip number, the registry's phone number and a clear photo within minutes, not after an hour of digging through email. Keep them with your pet's other records. In the free PetGrid app you can store the microchip number in your pet's pet records, next to vaccines and vet papers, and the travel helper reads it when a trip needs one.
If the worst happens, lost mode makes a poster and a public page with your pet's photo and your contact, without showing your address. Our guide on what to do if your pet is lost walks through the first hours.
Perguntas frequentes
Is a microchip automatically registered in Canada?
Not always. Some shelters, breeders and clinics register the chip for you, while others hand you a form to finish. Call the registry with the chip number to confirm the record is in your name.
Can a microchip track my pet's location?
No. A microchip has no battery or GPS, so it only sends an ID number when a scanner is held over it. The Ontario SPCA says microchips can't be used as tracking devices.
How do I update my pet's microchip information?
Contact the company that holds the registration, by phone or on its website, and change your phone, email and address. The Ontario SPCA advises doing this directly with your microchip provider after any move or new phone number.
Is there one microchip database for all of Canada?
No. Several companies keep pet microchip registries in Canada, such as 24PetWatch and PetLink, so you need to know which one holds your pet's number.
How do I find my pet's microchip number?
It's usually on adoption papers, vet invoices or the chip's sticker sheet. If you can't find it, ask your vet to scan your pet at the next visit, and write the number down somewhere you can reach fast.
My adopted pet's chip is registered to the shelter. What do I do?
Ask the shelter or rescue how they transfer the registration, then confirm with the registry that your details are on the record. Some groups do the transfer for you and some ask you to do it.
Em resumo
A chip is a good start, not a finished job. Find the number, figure out which registry has it, and make sure your phone and address are current. Then check again every year, and every time you move.
Keep the number, the registry and a recent photo together so you can move in minutes if your pet ever slips out the door. The PetGrid app is free for pet owners and holds all of it in one place.
Guarde os registros, as vacinas e as consultas do seu pet em um só lugar seguro. O app PetGrid é gratuito para tutores, com ou sem clínica.
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