Microchipping your dog is a legal requirement. Making sure it actually works is something most owners overlook. Pet Database is a DEFRA-compliant microchip database, one of 24 government-sanctioned services helping reunite lost dogs with their owners quickly and safely.
A dog microchip is a tiny device, about the size of a grain of rice, implanted just under your dog’s skin. It carries a unique 15-digit number that can be read by a scanner at veterinary practices, rescue centres, and local authorities. That number doesn’t hold your details itself. Instead, it links to a record stored in a microchip database. When your dog is scanned, the number is used to find your contact information so you can be reached. Here’s the important part many owners don’t realise. The microchip is only half the system. The database is the other half. If your details are missing, out of date, or registered incorrectly, the chip still works, but no one can contact you. Which means a found dog can’t always be returned home. That’s why microchipping isn’t just about getting the chip in. It’s about making sure your details are registered properly and kept up to date.
95%
Around 95% of UK dogs are microchipped, following long-standing legal requirements
1M
Over a million dogs have been reunited with their owners through microchipping
100,000+
Thousands of dogs go missing every year and rely on microchips to get home safely
70%
Up to 70% of microchip records have missing or outdated details, making owners harder to contact
In England, it is a legal requirement for all dogs (and cats ) to be microchipped and registered by the time they are 8 weeks old. This falls under The Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015, updated in 2024. If your dog is not microchipped, or your details are not kept up to date, you could face a fine of up to £500. The law is designed to help reunite lost dogs with their owners quickly. But it only works if your details are correct and accessible. These requirements apply across the UK, with similar laws in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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Most dogs are microchipped early, often before they leave the breeder or rescue centre. The process itself is quick and routine, but what matters is making sure everything is set up properly afterwards.
Book an appointment at your local practice or charity.
A tiny chip is placed under your cat's skin in seconds.
The chip is checked and your unique number is recorded.
Add your cat to our database. Updated details = safe pet.
In many cases, the chip is registered by the breeder or previous owner. That doesn’t always mean the details are correct or linked to you. If the information hasn’t been updated, the chip may still work perfectly, but it won’t lead back to you if your dog is found. Taking a moment to check and register your details properly is what turns a microchip into something that actually helps your dog get home.
Learn more:
Choosing a microchip for kittens →
Your dog may already be microchipped, especially if they came from a breeder or rescue. But that doesn’t always mean your details are correctly linked. A microchip only works if the information behind it is accurate and connected to you. If those details haven’t been updated by yourself, your dog can be found, scanned, and still not lead back to you.
A microchip without up-to-date details is little more than a number. The moment a dog goes missing, everything depends on what's behind it: who's registered, how to reach them, and how fast. These are the stories that show why it matters.
“These guys have really been my saviours. I had registered my dog through another site that wasn't DEFRA accredited and only found out when Pet Database proactively emailed me. They explained what happened, told me how to claim my money back from the scam site — and I got it. Beware of other sites. Go straight to these guys.”
“Pet Database helped us get our dogs' microchips updated and consolidated into a single database ahead of our family road trip. Thanks to them our pups got to travel with us and be part of our holiday. Their efforts helped get them across the borders and home safely.”
“I had very little information — I knew the dog had previously been a Romanian rescue and had the passport with some details. Pet Database helped find his history even though the chip number had an owner we didn't know. Everything got transferred correctly.”
Dogs tend to go missing in very different ways. It might be during a walk, a slipped lead, or a moment where they get startled and run.
When that happens, they’re often found quickly by someone nearby and taken to a vet, rescue centre, or local authority to be scanned.
That’s where the microchip comes in. If your details are correct, you get a call and can collect your dog. If they’re not, the process becomes slower and more uncertain, even if your dog is already safe. A microchip should be the fastest way to get your dog home. But it only works if your details are registered properly and kept up to date.
If your dog does go missing, you can report a lost or found pet, share details, and get support from our lost pet network. As the chosen microchip database of DogLost, one of the UK’s most effective pet reunification platforms, your details can be used by a network of volunteers, wardens, vets and rescues working to get your dog home.
You’ll also receive alerts when your dog’s microchip details are accessed, so you know when someone is trying to identify or contact you.
Because when your dog is found, you want to be the one they call.
Learn more:
From Scan to Safe: How microchips help reunite lost pets →
How shelters and microchips work together to reunite pets with families →