Dog Chip Checker: How to Check a Dog's Microchip and Who It's Registered To
From getting the chip scanned to finding the database that holds the record, plus why the keeper's contact details are only ever shared with professionals like vets and wardens.
Whether you’ve found a dog or you want to check your own dog’s chip is still in order, both start with the number on the chip. A vet, dog warden or rescue centre can scan the chip. Pet Database’s chip checker then takes the 15-digit number and tells you which UK database holds the owner’s record.
Getting the dog scanned for its chip number
A microchip is a small device, about the size of a grain of rice, that holds a unique 15-digit code. Nothing else is stored on it besides this number.
A vet, dog warden or rescue centre can scan a dog for the number. Grooming parlours may also be able to scan, though they’re unlikely to take the dog into their care. Ring ahead before you set off, so you know someone with a scanner is there.
The reader shows the chip’s number on its screen. Ask for it to be written down or read out to you, because it’s what you’ll need next.
In short, the process has three steps:
- Get the chip scanned, so you have the 15-digit number.
- Enter the number into Pet Database's chip checker to see which UK database holds the record.
- If the dog isn’t yours, the professional with it contacts the owner through that database. If the dog is yours, check your own record.
Using the chip checker
Once you have the number, Pet Database’s chip checker takes it and searches multiple UK databases at once. It’s free to use and you don’t need an account.
The result tells you whether the chip is registered and, if it is, which database holds the record. There isn’t one national database, so knowing which one holds the record is the useful part. It’s where the owner’s name, phone number and address sit, and where the owner goes to check them and keep them right. If you’re not sure how the different databases fit together, our guide to microchipping databases in the UK explains it.
If the checker shows the chip isn’t registered, our pet chip lookup page covers what to do with an unregistered or unfamiliar number.
Why the checker won't show the owner's details
If you’ve found a dog, you’d probably expect the checker to give you a name and phone number, and it feels unhelpful when it doesn’t. No chip checker can do that. The registered owner’s contact details are never shown to the public, to protect their personal information.
On Pet Database, professionals such as vets, wardens and pet rescuers can look up the owner’s details to get in touch when a pet is found. So the checker tells you the dog is registered and where, and the vet, warden or rescue holding the dog contacts the owner.
If you've found a dog
If you’ve found a dog, scanning the chip is the quickest route to its owner. In England and Wales, if you find a stray dog and can’t contact the owner, you must report it to the council. Our guide to what to do when you find a dog, who to call and how to report it sets out the full steps.
Checking your own dog's record
If the dog is yours, the check works the same way, but the follow-up is different. If you don’t know the chip number, a vet or rescue centre can scan your dog. You may also find the number on the paperwork from when the chip was implanted. Pop it into the checker and you’ll see which database holds the record.
Then go to that database and check the details it holds. If your pet is scanned when they’re lost and your phone number or address are out of date, contacting you is difficult, so it’s worth putting right now.
If your dog isn’t chipped yet, our page on dog microchipping explains how to get it done.
Once you have the number, the checker is the place to start. For an owner, keeping the record in your name and the details current is the point of all of this.
