How do I check my pet's microchip registry after they go missing
Use the free tool — Lost Pet Kit
Start here: why the microchip matters right now
Panic wastes the hours that matter most. If your pet has a microchip, updating the registry now can help someone return your pet faster.
Do now: update your pet's microchip registry
If your pet has a chip — or you are not sure — check it now. AAHA's Universal chip lookup covers most microchip registries at once, so you don't have to guess which company holds the record. Make sure the contact information on file is current.
Also file the free lost-pet registries
Even if you don't have a chip number handy, file with the free registries anyway. Finders check them.
- Petco Love Lost — free national lost-pet photo-match registry. Post the moment you're home.
- 24Petconnect — aggregates shelter intake listings in much of the US. Check it daily.
Search while you wait for calls
Cats and dogs behave differently. Indoor cats usually hide silently within about 3-5 houses of home and rarely respond to calling — search hiding spots at dusk with a flashlight. Dogs travel farther, so widen your search as hours pass.
Two scams to ignore
- Anyone who demands money by gift card or wire transfer to "return" your pet.
- Fake "pet flight recovery" services calling from out of state.
Never pay anyone who cannot send a current photo of your pet.
Be honest about the odds
Most lost dogs and many lost cats are recovered. No outcome is guaranteed.
What to do next
This guide is general. The free Lost Pet Kit tool reads your own details — species, time missing, chip status — and gives you an hour-by-hour plan, poster wording, and every call to make, in English or Spanish. Nothing you type is stored.
Caution: If you see a pet in immediate danger, call your local animal control now. Never meet a "finder" who demands payment first.
Lost Pet Kit gives general search guidance; it can be wrong and no outcome is guaranteed. Verify local shelter and animal-control contacts. Nothing you type is stored.
Lost Pet Kit gives general search guidance; it can be wrong and no outcome is guaranteed. Verify local shelter and animal-control contacts. Nothing you type is stored.