Foreign microchip number on a found animal

[Chocolate]

Could contact details be posted please for tracing the idenity chip number of lost animals.

Once scanned it should be possible to check the number on a database but with several 'nationalities' of microchip to be found now it can be extremely difficult to return a lost animal to it's owner. The following situation actually happened a few days ago.

A neighbour has been trying to trace the owner of a small, hungry, lost dog which wandered into his house a few days ago. He took the dog to the local vet whose receptionist scanned it, stated it had a Dutch microchip, shrugged her shoulders and wanted no more to do with it as the dog was not in need of veteriinary care. An unexpected and unhelpful reaction which shocked my neighbour.

After several unfruitful visits to a local Dutch-based campsite, various neighbours and local shops for 'lost dog' posters he returned home to to try the internet. Quite by chance he stumbled across a site which took him in a complicated way to the opportunity to type in the microchip number. Up came full details of the dog, which was Belgian not Dutch. One 'phone call to a very relieved ex-holiday maker who had lost the dog two weeks before has settled the problem.

Unfortunately my neighbour cannot remember the name of the site for future use, or to give it here. Perhaps someone might know of a central, International database or would it be possible to offer several contacts for several countries? I feel sure that with so many animals travelling with holiday-making owners that there is a real need for members of the general public to be able to access details and so re-unite owners and pets.

If the details are straightforward could they be posted permanently in this topic by someone and so be quickly accessed by anyone finding a lost animal?         

[Deimos]

 Normally http://www.europetnet.com/. However seems down at the moment. Don't know if its a short of long term problem.

It does not give you details of the pet owner (as that would be something of a privacy failure - all microchipped pet owners names and contact info available to everybody on the internet). What it does is; you enter the microchip number and it tells you which national database the pet is recorded in plus contact information for the database operators. It might then be easier for a vet or organisation (e.g. SPA) to get the owner info form the database operator (no idea as I've never done it).

Ian

[Chocolate]

Thank you Deimos for the useful and helpful reply.

 I have just tried the site you have given and had no problems with access.

Hope it will be helpful for other confused and worried 'finders'.

(The little dog in question is now back in Belgium with her ecstatic owners.)

[naps]

Having a Dutch registered chip I thought I'd give the link a shot and it worked perfectly, thanks for the link.

[Christine Animal]

Haven't you had it registered in France Naps ?

 

[Chocolate]

Errrm. It's me again. Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but here goes.

Just read Christine's post. We have two cats with British microchips and they and we live permanently here in France. At no time has our , (excellent) vet suggested we should register them into the French system. If we should/did, does it affect their British 'number'? If so what would happen if they travelled with us back to England for a visit and were lost? Does he do the paperwork or should we do this via a website or by contacting someone?

By the way, we were delighted to know that the microchips inserted before leaving England also registered the cats' temperature. No more thermometers we thought! Forget it. Our very high-tec French vet doesn't possess a micrchip reader that can cope with this. Poor cats. No gain there.

[Christine Animal]

A lot of questions Chocolate !  I found out about the dogs' microchips (see sticky).  First of all, under what address are your cats registered at the moment?  Do you still go to that address in England?  You say "what would happen if they travelled with us back to England for a visit and were lost?"... if they were registered in France, you would obviously be informed at that address, in the same way as a French person.  But if you lose them in England and they are registered at an address in England which is no longer valid, there is no point in that is there.  They obviously have to be registered where their owners are now living.

What would happen if you lose them in France and they are registered at a no longer valid address in England ?

If they are registered in France and you lose them in England you can contact the Fichier National Félin saying they are lost, giving your temporary address and telephone number in case they are found.

 

 

 

[Chocolate]

Thank you Christine for the informative reply and thank you for the time and trouble to info-search. My apologies for the seeming many questions, but they do seem sensible to me.

Your advice is good and we shall visit our vet to begin the process. We no longer have a British address and would be visiting our daughter or friends. I do like to cover all angles and am a born worrier.

Do hope my questions and the informed replies will help others. This site has taught us so many things about life in France.