Microchipping Question... please help - Doberman Forum : Doberman Breed Dog Forums

KahluaGrl · 11-09-2012, 11:49 AM

Now all of my dogs are microchipped. But here's my question. Harley and Maverick (technically) came from a shelter and rescue group respectively.

I adopted Harley in 2009 and I've been updating his Microchip information since them, number changes, moves, etc. Now all of a sudden they won't let me update and they said that the first 60 days was free but now I have to pay $17.95 a year. Ummm... since when? Naturally Maverick has the same microchip and they won't even let me register his because Harley is past his 60 days. Now JUST updated Harley last year and nothing was a problem then.

Kahlua's microchip was paid for when I put it in and that was for life, only $19.95... I actually think it was less than that since I paid for it when it was put in and not later online, but either way $19.95 for life is wayyyy better than $17.95 a year per dog. Kahlua's chip is through PetLink/Res-q pet tracking system. I also have her registered with AKC CAR.

So now what? Is there another way I can go and register Harley and Maverick or am I stuck with 24petwatch? If I would have known this before Maverick was microchipped I would have never have had him Microchipped with that chip. He's going in for Neutering the 16th and I've thought about having the chip removed and another one put in, but I don't know if you can even do that.

I hope this all makes sense and isn't too confusing. I'm trying to pack for when I leave tomorrow and get ready and deal with this. Also, I haven't let Harley run around with wrong info, I just won't have my cell phone up in Alaska so I was changing the contact info to my Aunt, but I can't do that apparently without paying.

lestat1978 · 11-09-2012, 12:42 PM

I have never heard of a chip coming with a yearly fee. I wouldn't go for that either. I have heard of fees for each time you update your personal information though and can understand that. Are these chips you paid for and that are registered solely to you? There's nothing on the chips linking back to the original shelter or rescue? I would hate to think someone could come in and say remove this pet's chip because of x,y,z. I know my cat Halle's original chip stopped being readable. Don't know if something about it broke, it migrated to a location that couldn't be scanned, etc. They just put a new chip in her without trying to locate the old.

Capone's Mommy · 11-09-2012, 12:51 PM

Capone's chip was put in at the vet for a fee. I had to go online and register the chip and update all my info on him and ourselves. I believe we got a year free, but then when the it was almost a year later I got an email from HomeAgain (microchip company) telling me I needed to pay a $16.99 yearly fee. I paid it, but then then I looked into it and I was told just make sure your info and pic are up to date and you should be fine not to renew. I did this and the chips still works. I had it checked out and all the info it upto date when I was at the vets. I can still log into the HomeAgain's web page and update for free so I am not sure what the fee went towards. Maybe I am missing something.

avianantics · 11-09-2012, 12:54 PM

I'm confused. Who is it that wants to charge you an annual fee? My dogs and birds are chipped with AKC chips and registered with CAR.

KahluaGrl · 11-09-2012, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lestat1978

I have never heard of a chip coming with a yearly fee. I wouldn't go for that either. I have heard of fees for each time you update your personal information though and can understand that. Are these chips you paid for and that are registered solely to you? There's nothing on the chips linking back to the original shelter or rescue? I would hate to think someone could come in and say remove this pet's chip because of x,y,z. I know my cat Halle's original chip stopped being readable. Don't know if something about it broke, it migrated to a location that couldn't be scanned, etc. They just put a new chip in her without trying to locate the old.

No, they don't go back to the shelter, I can put in where the dog came from, but Maverick was just chipped during the rescue groups low cost chip thing. The shelter Harley came from won't take any animals they adopt out back anyways. When I originally got Harley there was never a fee, this is a new thing to me. It's been over 60 days (it's been 3 years and it just stopped letting me update the info). I just don't understand how they can just go "oh, hey, we're going to charge you $18 a year now per dog."

If I could just register the chip somewhere else that would be ok, but I don't know if it would always link back to 24petwatch which is old info. I'm not sure how exactly the AKC CAR works, I had that before Kahlua got chipped, I got it when I turned in her registration paper then later I added her chip number.

KahluaGrl · 11-09-2012, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avianantics

I'm confused. Who is it that wants to charge you an annual fee? My dogs and birds are chipped with AKC chips and registered with CAR.

The 24PetWatch wants to charge the fee, that is who did the chips for Harley and Maverick were chipped with. That's what the paperwork said at least.

ETA I just called again, the guy called me a liar when I said Kahlua's chip didn't have an annual fee because ALL microchips have an annual fee. Then he wanted her microchip number and I refused to give it to him. I don't know him and I don't trust him after he just called me a liar.

KahluaGrl · 11-09-2012, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capone's Mommy

Yep Capone's was free I think for the first year maybe a then they wanted you to pay a yearly fee it was $16.99. I just made sure all his info was updated and paid for the first year but then stopped. His chip is provided by HomeAgain.

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See the problem is, the other half is in the military so we move a lot :/ Otherwise it would have been ok. I can't even register Maverick's chip though because my account isn't in good standing because I haven't paid for Harley's chip. It sounds pretty fishy to me. Plus it mentions nothing about fees or renewing online and you can't pay online you have to call and give them your credit card number.

lestat1978 · 11-09-2012, 01:04 PM

Hmmm.....two of my cats still have HomeAgain chips. Now I have to investigate. . .

Sam1491 · 11-09-2012, 01:32 PM

We have homeagain at work, it is a yearly fee if you choose to pay it, which includes lost pet assistance (fliers, emails, etc.) and financial help for returning your pet if over 500 miles away. You also can save $75 per call with the pet poison hotline, more details here and if i'm remembering correctly your yearly fee shouldn't be per pet but i'm not 100% on that.
Protect Lost And Found Pets | HomeAgain Pet Microchip

However! if you chose not to pay the fee, until you want to update info they retain all the previous info just in case and you just lose the "perks".

KahluaGrl · 11-09-2012, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam1491

We have homeagain at work, it is a yearly fee if you choose to pay it, which includes lost pet assistance (fliers, emails, etc.) and financial help for returning your pet if over 500 miles away. You also can save $75 per call with the pet poison hotline, more details here and if i'm remembering correctly your yearly fee shouldn't be per pet but i'm not 100% on that.
Protect Lost And Found Pets | HomeAgain Pet Microchip

However! if you chose not to pay the fee, until you want to update info they retain all the previous info just in case and you just lose the "perks".

I can't even register Maverick though

And moving around with the military I just can't let it not renew. I think I'm just going to have Maverick's taken out when he goes in for a neuter. It's basically worthless anyways with no info attached to it.

I don't know what to do about Harley's, If I would have known this when he was under for his ear I would have taken his out as well and had it replaced. That info isn't going to be good when I leave

I'm still pretty mad about being called a liar. I know that Kahlua's was a lifetime registration fee I wasn't lying.

Sam1491 · 11-09-2012, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KahluaGrl

I can't even register Maverick though

And moving around with the military I just can't let it not renew. I think I'm just going to have Maverick's taken out when he goes in for a neuter. It's basically worthless anyways with no info attached to it.

I don't know what to do about Harley's, If I would have known this when he was under for his ear I would have taken his out as well and had it replaced. That info isn't going to be good when I leave

I'm still pretty mad about being called a liar. I know that Kahlua's was a lifetime registration fee I wasn't lying.

It's up to you, in the end very few companies if any dont have yearly renewals, Moving a lot with the military it'd seem like a good idea to me but I can also see how much of a pain it'd be.

If nothing else maybe there's a way being militairy that you can spend the money and register them all one last time with your names and a directory service number for them to contact to find your current address since you get relocated. I think you should be able to put a note in about that for shelters/clinics/etc... to see. Just thought.

lestat1978 · 11-09-2012, 01:54 PM

Two of my cats still have HomeAgain chips - I'm guessing I haven't updated those in a while with HomeAgain's database.

Two of my pets have Avid chips. If I update my Avid chips with PETtrac, there is a $6 fee.

All four of the above animals are registered with AKC CAR. I just updated my primary phone number with them for no fee.

If you know your chip number, can you just register it with AKC CAR?

Rosemary · 11-09-2012, 01:56 PM

I have/had two cats (one is now deceased) with 24PetWatch chips. I know after the first year, I was given the option of either paying a yearly fee of $16 or so, or paying more ($40ish), and getting lifetime registration. I opted for the lifetime registration. I just logged onto my account, and was able to update my contact info, but there was no option for reporting the one as deceased.

I went to my PetLink (Bayer Res-Q) account, and was able to make changes there, also. When my vet switched to the Bayer chip, the registration was included in the cost of the chip, which is like $60. I just had to create the online account, and enter all the information.

Now, Lucky and the two oldest cats have AVID chips, and they are registered to my vet's clinic. If I needed to update them, I would have to pay a fee.

I have no experience with the AKC's Home Again chip, but when Ilka got her Canine Partners listing, she was entered into the CAR with her Res-Q chip number.

Hooligan · 11-09-2012, 01:58 PM

Don't know whether this will help, but Jack's chip was implanted through the CKC's CANADACHIP program, which offers free info updates. According to this page on the AKC website, the same is true of the AKC's chip program. Might be worth looking into.

For Pet Owners

KahluaGrl · 11-09-2012, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lestat1978

Two of my cats still have HomeAgain chips - I'm guessing I haven't updated those in a while with HomeAgain's database.

Two of my pets have Avid chips. If I update my Avid chips with PETtrac, there is a $6 fee.

All four of the above animals are registered with AKC CAR. I just updated my primary phone number with them for no fee.

If you know your chip number, can you just register it with AKC CAR?

I think so because that is what I did with Kahlua, I just added her chip number. I might just do that. I might be able to register with PetLink with their chip number. I just don't know how the AKC CAR registration works, like when they scan the microchip if it goes to the AKC CAR info or the original info for the Microchip. Does anyone know? I've never lost a dog before or dealt with the scanning side of microchips.

Rosemary · 11-09-2012, 02:20 PM

I think whenever a pet is scanned, the chip number is entered into a search engine. I know I used it to see if the AVID chips showed up (they didn't, but the search did suggest they might be AVID chips). I think it might only work for the ISO chip numbers.

stryker2 · 11-09-2012, 02:44 PM

We have Avid Chips. No yearly charge. All chips do not use the same frequency. Don't know if places use a universal scaner.

Rosemary · 11-09-2012, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stryker2

We have Avid Chips. No yearly charge. All chips do not use the same frequency. Don't know if places use a universal scaner.

From what I understand, most scanners today will read most chips. However, an AVID scanner tends to only read AVID chips. An older scanner of any brand might not read the higher frequency ISO chips.

pherneigh · 11-11-2012, 09:48 AM

I microchip for a living and this is, by far, my biggest bone of contention with Avid, HomeAgain, etc. They REFUSE to be part of the larger network of petmicrochiplookup.org. DEMANDING you pay over and over and over again is how they make their money. All their reps are salesmen. I NEVER register any animal I microchip with anyone other than AKC. One fee. One time. Forever--no matter how many changes. If you re-register your pets with AKC their ID # will show up on the petmicrochiplookup.org site.

Yes, those OTHERS have crappy scanners. My universal scanner (AKC) detects and reads ALL chips. I have had calls just to scan pets for chips and have re-registered them w/AKC for clients. No matter who the chip mfg. is, it will show up as registered to AKC. The trouble is that whoever is scanning the pet isn't taking that extra step to determine ownership. I give the owner the extra fail-safe option of putting myself as an alternate contact.

I just get furious with these companies who claim they're in it "for the pets". Pffffft.

Capone's Mommy · 11-11-2012, 10:48 AM

Just a question about the akc chipping. If your vet only does HomeAgain how can we get our next or even current dog registered with an akc chip?

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smudgeid · 11-11-2012, 11:00 AM

Chanel came to me with a microchip4solutions chip. I called them to update with my owner information, they asked for a letter of sale & then updated at no charge.

The cat has a 24Petwatch chip & I can't find anything on their paperwork that says there would be an extra charge as long as I don't want the yearly emergency service insurance.

I'm in Canada, don't know if that makes a difference.
Kate

Burns · 11-11-2012, 11:09 AM

My clinic stopped using HomeAgain when they started to want to charge people an annual fee for perks (amber alert system, emails, etc). Yes you can opt out of it, but I think charging people for that stuff is a ripoff and we didn't want our clients to be confused and think they had to pay it or their pet wouldn't be protected.

We switched to AVID and there is no annual fee. But there is a $6 fee if you ever need to change your contact info. Not a big deal.

I don't know anything about the PetWatch chips or how they run their program, but if its similar to HomeAgain, the yearly fee is optional. Your pet's microchip number is still in their database (as long as you properly register it to begin with), and can still be pulled up like usual if someone calls in with the number. There just may be perks you aren't getting like with HomeAgain.

avianantics · 11-11-2012, 12:29 PM

You can register any chip through AKC's CAR program. Cost is $17.50 if done online, $19.95 if you print the form and mail it in. There are NO annual fees. Just the one-time enrollment fee. No charges for updates. The only time an additional fee is charged, is if you transfer the pet -- in other words if you want to change the primary contact. The charge for a transfer is $19.95.

"Any other changes to your pet's record, from the CAR website; such as phone number, address, alternate and emergency contacts are considered Record Updates, which are included with your pet's lifetime enrollment with AKC Companion Animal Recovery."

I started using Homeagain chips and CAR in 2001 and have never had an issue. I haven't lost anybody, but have updated information a number of times without a charge.

GrdnDelite · 11-11-2012, 01:46 PM

Our prior dog had the AKC CAR chip and it was no additional fee, ever, regardless of how many moves/changes/updates we made. Easily done, too, via email, which I found helpful in the busy-ness of moving.

Diva and Gracie have AVID chips and it's $6 to update.

Meanwhile, I see my vet has changed to HomeAgain, which does not interest me because of their interest in capitalizing on our pets. I like our vet clinic; I think I will print this thread and take it to them.

Hank · 11-11-2012, 02:54 PM

I also have 24hourpetwatch and they wanted to charge me to update my info since I am past the first free year.

You can register the chip number with any company? My friend works at Banfield and says I can update the chip through her for free.
I am just worried that if he got out, and scanned his chip, how will they know which is the currect company/info?
I don't know anything about this. If I 'transfer' the chip number to another company, do I have to call 24hourpetwatch and cancel the acct there?