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Microchips are incredibly useful, as they provide information such as the owner's name in case their pet gets lost. However, that information may disappear if the chip is associated with a company that closed down. This occurred with Save This Life, one of America’s largest pet microchip companies, which ceased operations in January 2024. After shutting down, the pet owner database also became unavailable, leaving microchipped pets unregistered.
The issue emerged when the Springfield Township police brought a 6-year-old shepherd to Cincinnati Animal CARE. While the dog, later called Phil Collins, carried a microchip, it was registered under Save This Life. The closure caught many off guard, including pet owners, veterinarians, and shelter partners. As a result, microchips registered under Save This Life no longer reveal pet owner information, leaving pets unprotected.
So far, Cincinnati Animal CARE brought in 65 dogs that had microchips linked to Save This Life. Approximately 50% of them were reunited with their owners. However, other dogs stayed at the shelter before getting adopted. There are six dogs that have yet to be reunited with their owners.
Those who registered with Save This Life won’t need to re-chip their pets. Instead, microchip companies will move or update the registration information, usually free of cost. Approximately forty companies across the country perform pet microchip registration. Pet owners can use The American Animal Hospital Association’s free online lookup tool at AAHA.org, which allows them to enter a microchip number to find the registered company.
Several registries are stepping in to support affected pet owners with free or low-cost re-registration. HomeAgain provides free enrollment for Save This Life chips with no annual fees. 24PetWatch offers complimentary basic registration and works with AAHA for lookups. AKC Reunite accepts every brand for lifetime registration from $25-$30. There are also some notable alternatives like PetLink, Free Pet Chip Registry, and BuddyID.
Seems like a vacuum ripe for a company to take over their operation. Surprised it didn’t happen.
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