Where to Get a Puppy or Kitten Microchipped: Vets, Charities, Cost and Free Schemes
From the vet's surgery to council wardens and charity schemes, there are several routes to getting a young pet chipped, and costs vary. Registration afterwards is down to you.
Those first few weeks with a puppy or kitten come with a short list of things to sort out, and the chip is one to get in the diary early. A puppy from a breeder should already have one; if yours doesn’t, or you have a kitten, the vet is the place to start.
If your puppy came from a breeder
A puppy bought from a breeder should already be chipped when you collect it. Your job is moving the record into your name. Ask the breeder which database the puppy is registered on and how the transfer works. On Pet Database, you start the transfer yourself: enter the chip number from the puppy’s paperwork, confirm you’re the new owner and add your name, address and phone number. You don’t need to contact the breeder first.
At your puppy’s first vet visit, ask for the chip to be scanned so you know it’s there and readable. Then check the database record is in your name, not still in the breeder’s. If you breed litters yourself, our breeder’s guide to microchipping a littercovers your side of it.
Where to take a kitten or an unchipped puppy
In England, only certain people may implant a chip: a vet, a vet nurse or student under a vet’s direction, or someone who has passed an approved training course. Either way, this isn’t a job to do yourself or hand to anyone who hasn’t trained for it.
If your vet doesn’t chip pets, ask your local council or a rescue centre whether they do. Some councils chip dogs through their animal warden service, though provision varies a lot. Westminster City Council, for example, has previously offered microchipping through its animal warden service, booked by email. Ask your own council what it currently offers before assuming.
If a kitten is being neutered, the chip can go in at the same visit, under the same anaesthetic. Our guide to what to expect at the microchipping appointment walks through the visit itself, and our page on the best age to microchip puppies and kittens covers timing.
What it costs, and where to look for free schemes
There’s no single UK price, so get a quote when you book. The PDSA puts microchipping at around £10 to £30 for pets in general, and says some vets include a chip in their health plans while some charities offer reduced-cost or free chips. Ask whether the price covers registering the chip on a database or just the implant itself, since that varies too.
For lower-cost routes and typical prices, see our pages on free microchipping schemes and what microchipping a puppy costs.
Registering the chip once it's in
The chip itself holds only a number; the record is what links that number to your name, phone and address on a database, so a vet or warden who scans the chip can reach you. Registration is the second half of the job. The British Veterinary Association says registration is the owner’s responsibility, not the practice’s, so don’t assume the vet did it for you. If the implanter says they’ll register it, ask when and how you’ll get confirmation.
Once you’re home, register the chip with Pet Database in your name, with the phone number and address you want on it. Keeping those details current is what turns the number into a route back to you if your pet is ever found.
