Although a microchip is not a legal requirement within Canada or USA, nor even to enter Canada (except for puppies under 8 months of age), it is always well advised for any international relocation. It is the only way to attach a vaccination certificate uniquely to your animal. Many countries require a microchip as a condition of import, and before any vaccinations are done. Any animal requiring a blood sample for rabies must have a microchip or else, the sample will not be processed at the laboratory.
So, the answer to the question is “Yes”, although not mandatory in some cases, you should have a microchip for all the reasons described above as well as for the security of your animal should it get loss during travel or at its new destination. The microchip lasts the life of the pet, and whenever you move home, you can update your new address details on the Microchip Website at no extra charge. All veterinary practices and rescue centres carry microchip readers which means the pet can quickly be reunited with you when found. Microchipping may be done by anyone, provided they also provide a formal certificate of insertion (Microchip Implant Certificate) and the correct website for changing data in the future. Your microchip supplier or Veterinary Practice will advise which microchip databank they use and recommend.
Microchips are the only reliable way to identify an animal. Tattoos can become illegible, and in any case there is no worldwide registration facility for tattoo numbers. Any pet that carries a microchip can have it read at any time. This microchip identifies the owner and origin of the dog, but this confidential information is only held by the company who registered the microchip at the time of implantation.
From this you will see the essential requirement to register the pet correctly at the time of implantation.
There are many different microchip registration companies, and with the benefits of the world wide web, they can be located anywhere in the world. Each company has a slightly different policy regarding registration and costs, but in general the initial cost of the microchip includes any number of address or ownership changes that can be made throughout the life of the pet. Here are some examples of registration companies used in North America, but this list is far from exhaustive:
Pethealth Inc. : www.24petwatch.com
EIDAP Inc. : www.eidap.com
Microchip 4 Solutions Inc. : www.microchipsolutions.com
Petidco / Avid Canada, The Microchip Company
(formerly Advanced I.D. Corp.) : www.petidco.com
PetLynx Corporation
Société IDENT-TRAC Inc : www.identrac.ca
Viaguard Inc : www.accu-metrics.com
In every case an email, or website, or telephone number is given on the microchip registration certificate (Implant Certificate) where the changes in details can be amended at any time in the life of the pet.
A separate Implant Certificate is required for each microchip number. Three copies are distributed: 1) to the Registration Company, 2) to the vet or place of registration, 3) to the owner of the pet at the time of the implant. Each microchip should have its own registration certificate sheet for two reasons:
1… Finding a lost pet:
This is important because this sheet gives the web page address where theownership/locationdetails can be updated throughout the life of the pet. When a pet is moved to another address, city or country, the owner should take a minute to go to that website tomodify the actual address of the pet. If the animal is lost, the person finding the pet can contact the appropriate microchip company. The first three digits of the 15-digit number identify the microchip manufacturer. Manoir Kanisha can always assist you in identifying the correct company. The microchip company will then contact the owner to advise where the pet may be recovered.
2… Making a link between a specific pet and its documents to travel:
For many pet relocations, both domestic and international, the microchip number on a certificate is the only way to attach that particular paper to that particular pet. For many destinations, especially Europe, the date of implant must be on or before the date of Rabies vaccinationelse the certificate is invalid. The Vet must certify that the microchip was inside this particular pet before the pet’s vaccination was done. Then, the microchip number will be written on each vaccination cert(*). The destination country will scan the microchip in the pet and then verify this number on the veterinary documents.
(*) Since any subsequent error in writing or re-writing the number will also make the certificate invalid, it is a good plan, when you are with the vet, when you first register the microchip, is to add the microchip number in three-digit groups in the same cell as the PETNAME in the computer. Thus the number only needs to be inserted once, correctly, and will always print on any certificate in this manner:
I hereby certify that PETNAME 900 123 456 789 123, was vaccinated this day with . . . . . .etc.
