How Pet Microchips Work & Why Registration Matters

Pet microchips are small, but they play a critical role in reuniting lost pets with their families. Most veterinarians, shelters, and rescue organizations strongly recommend microchipping, yet many pet owners still aren’t clear on how microchips actually work, or why registration and upkeep matter just as much as the chip itself.

Here’s a clear breakdown.

What Is a Pet Microchip?

A pet microchip is a small RFID device, about the size of a grain of rice. Inside the chip is a tiny antenna and microcircuit, sealed in medical-grade glass designed to be safe for long-term implantation.

A veterinarian implants the microchip under the loose skin between a pet’s shoulder blades in a quick procedure similar to a routine vaccination. Most pets experience little to no discomfort, and the chip remains in place for life.

How Microchips Work

Pet microchips are passive transponders, meaning they do not contain a battery or actively transmit signals. They work only when scanned:

A scanner passes over the pet’s body and emits a low-power radio signal
The microchip responds by transmitting its unique identification number
That number is used to look up the pet’s record in a microchip registry

The chip itself does not store personal information. It simply provides an ID number that links to a database entry. This is why registration and keeping it current are essential.

Microchip Frequencies Explained

Pet microchips operate on different radio frequencies, most commonly:

125 kHz
128 kHz
134.2 kHz (ISO standard)

In the United States, shelters and veterinary clinics use universal scanners that can detect all three frequencies. Internationally, many countries have standardized on the ISO 134.2 kHz frequency, and U.S. adoption has steadily moved in that direction as well.

Frequency differences rarely cause issues today — as long as a universal scanner is used.

Why Registration Matters More Than the Chip

A microchip without registration cannot reunite a pet with its owner. Studies consistently show that:

Microchipped dogs are about 2× more likely to be reunited
Microchipped cats are about 20× more likely to be reunited

However, those odds depend entirely on whether the microchip number is linked to accurate, up-to-date contact information.

If a phone number has changed, an email is no longer active, or the chip was never registered, shelters and veterinarians may have no way to identify or reach the owner, even if the pet is chipped.

How Microchip Registries Work

When a lost pet is scanned, the microchip number is entered into the AAHA Pet Microchip Lookup Tool, which identifies which registry holds the pet’s record. From there, registries handle contact in different ways:

Some require shelters or finders to contact the registry, which then attempts to reach the owner
Others allow limited, owner-approved contact directly through a pet profile

The number of steps between finding a pet and reaching its owner can affect how quickly reunification happens.

A Modern Approach to Microchip Registration

Pawbase was built around the idea that speed, clarity, and control matter when a pet is lost. Pet owners can:

Register any brand of microchip
Update contact information at any time from a mobile app
Choose what information is visible when a pet’s microchip is searched
Allow pet professionals to contact them directly based on those privacy settings

If an owner cannot be reached, Pawbase also provides 24/7 support to assist with outreach and reunification.

For pet owners who want additional visibility, optional premium features include real-time scan alerts with time and location, and automatically generated lost-pet posters that can be shared immediately.

What Matters Most

Microchips are powerful tools, but they only work when paired with active, accurate registration.

The chip itself never changes. Phone numbers do. Email addresses change. Moves happen. Keeping your information current is what turns a microchip from a passive device into a reliable way home.

Choosing a registry that makes updates easy and contact clear can make a meaningful difference if your pet is ever lost.

Pet microchips are small, but they play a critical role in reuniting lost pets with their families. Most veterinarians, shelters, and rescue organizations strongly recommend microchipping, yet many pet owners still aren’t clear on how microchips actually work, or why registration and upkeep matter just as much as the chip itself.

Here’s a clear breakdown.

What Is a Pet Microchip?

A pet microchip is a small RFID device, about the size of a grain of rice. Inside the chip is a tiny antenna and microcircuit, sealed in medical-grade glass designed to be safe for long-term implantation.

A veterinarian implants the microchip under the loose skin between a pet’s shoulder blades in a quick procedure similar to a routine vaccination. Most pets experience little to no discomfort, and the chip remains in place for life.

How Microchips Work

Pet microchips are passive transponders, meaning they do not contain a battery or actively transmit signals. They work only when scanned:

A scanner passes over the pet’s body and emits a low-power radio signal
The microchip responds by transmitting its unique identification number
That number is used to look up the pet’s record in a microchip registry

The chip itself does not store personal information. It simply provides an ID number that links to a database entry. This is why registration and keeping it current are essential.

Microchip Frequencies Explained

Pet microchips operate on different radio frequencies, most commonly:

125 kHz
128 kHz
134.2 kHz (ISO standard)

In the United States, shelters and veterinary clinics use universal scanners that can detect all three frequencies. Internationally, many countries have standardized on the ISO 134.2 kHz frequency, and U.S. adoption has steadily moved in that direction as well.

Frequency differences rarely cause issues today — as long as a universal scanner is used.

Why Registration Matters More Than the Chip

A microchip without registration cannot reunite a pet with its owner. Studies consistently show that:

Microchipped dogs are about 2× more likely to be reunited
Microchipped cats are about 20× more likely to be reunited

However, those odds depend entirely on whether the microchip number is linked to accurate, up-to-date contact information.

If a phone number has changed, an email is no longer active, or the chip was never registered, shelters and veterinarians may have no way to identify or reach the owner, even if the pet is chipped.

How Microchip Registries Work

When a lost pet is scanned, the microchip number is entered into the AAHA Pet Microchip Lookup Tool, which identifies which registry holds the pet’s record. From there, registries handle contact in different ways:

Some require shelters or finders to contact the registry, which then attempts to reach the owner
Others allow limited, owner-approved contact directly through a pet profile

The number of steps between finding a pet and reaching its owner can affect how quickly reunification happens.

A Modern Approach to Microchip Registration

Pawbase was built around the idea that speed, clarity, and control matter when a pet is lost. Pet owners can:

Register any brand of microchip
Update contact information at any time from a mobile app
Choose what information is visible when a pet’s microchip is searched
Allow pet professionals to contact them directly based on those privacy settings

If an owner cannot be reached, Pawbase also provides 24/7 support to assist with outreach and reunification.

For pet owners who want additional visibility, optional premium features include real-time scan alerts with time and location, and automatically generated lost-pet posters that can be shared immediately.

What Matters Most

Microchips are powerful tools, but they only work when paired with active, accurate registration.

The chip itself never changes. Phone numbers do. Email addresses change. Moves happen. Keeping your information current is what turns a microchip from a passive device into a reliable way home.

Choosing a registry that makes updates easy and contact clear can make a meaningful difference if your pet is ever lost.

Pet microchips are small, but they play a critical role in reuniting lost pets with their families. Most veterinarians, shelters, and rescue organizations strongly recommend microchipping, yet many pet owners still aren’t clear on how microchips actually work, or why registration and upkeep matter just as much as the chip itself.

Here’s a clear breakdown.

What Is a Pet Microchip?

A pet microchip is a small RFID device, about the size of a grain of rice. Inside the chip is a tiny antenna and microcircuit, sealed in medical-grade glass designed to be safe for long-term implantation.

A veterinarian implants the microchip under the loose skin between a pet’s shoulder blades in a quick procedure similar to a routine vaccination. Most pets experience little to no discomfort, and the chip remains in place for life.

How Microchips Work

Pet microchips are passive transponders, meaning they do not contain a battery or actively transmit signals. They work only when scanned:

A scanner passes over the pet’s body and emits a low-power radio signal
The microchip responds by transmitting its unique identification number
That number is used to look up the pet’s record in a microchip registry

The chip itself does not store personal information. It simply provides an ID number that links to a database entry. This is why registration and keeping it current are essential.

Microchip Frequencies Explained

Pet microchips operate on different radio frequencies, most commonly:

125 kHz
128 kHz
134.2 kHz (ISO standard)

In the United States, shelters and veterinary clinics use universal scanners that can detect all three frequencies. Internationally, many countries have standardized on the ISO 134.2 kHz frequency, and U.S. adoption has steadily moved in that direction as well.

Frequency differences rarely cause issues today — as long as a universal scanner is used.

Why Registration Matters More Than the Chip

A microchip without registration cannot reunite a pet with its owner. Studies consistently show that:

Microchipped dogs are about 2× more likely to be reunited
Microchipped cats are about 20× more likely to be reunited

However, those odds depend entirely on whether the microchip number is linked to accurate, up-to-date contact information.

If a phone number has changed, an email is no longer active, or the chip was never registered, shelters and veterinarians may have no way to identify or reach the owner, even if the pet is chipped.

How Microchip Registries Work

When a lost pet is scanned, the microchip number is entered into the AAHA Pet Microchip Lookup Tool, which identifies which registry holds the pet’s record. From there, registries handle contact in different ways:

Some require shelters or finders to contact the registry, which then attempts to reach the owner
Others allow limited, owner-approved contact directly through a pet profile

The number of steps between finding a pet and reaching its owner can affect how quickly reunification happens.

A Modern Approach to Microchip Registration

Pawbase was built around the idea that speed, clarity, and control matter when a pet is lost. Pet owners can:

Register any brand of microchip
Update contact information at any time from a mobile app
Choose what information is visible when a pet’s microchip is searched
Allow pet professionals to contact them directly based on those privacy settings

If an owner cannot be reached, Pawbase also provides 24/7 support to assist with outreach and reunification.

For pet owners who want additional visibility, optional premium features include real-time scan alerts with time and location, and automatically generated lost-pet posters that can be shared immediately.

What Matters Most

Microchips are powerful tools, but they only work when paired with active, accurate registration.

The chip itself never changes. Phone numbers do. Email addresses change. Moves happen. Keeping your information current is what turns a microchip from a passive device into a reliable way home.

Choosing a registry that makes updates easy and contact clear can make a meaningful difference if your pet is ever lost.