Identichip Locate, the market leading microchip, has celebrated its first birthday. The comprehensive pet reunification service has achieved outstanding success since its launch, having gained nearly 17,000 members. Around 400 pets have been reported missing and more than 65% have been reunited with their owners.

The Identichip Locate product was introduced at the end of 2002 following a consultation session with existing Identichip customers. The exercise revealed that many customers would be interested in an all inclusive pet reunification service which also offered regular reminders to keep their registration address details up to date.

When a pet goes missing, the owner makes one call to a specially allocated number and the dog wardens, recovery centres and veterinary surgeries in the surrounding area are notified immediately. “LOST” posters are produced for displaying locally and the pet’s details are entered on Identichip Locate’s on-line pet register, which can be accessed at any time.

Numerous owners have been reunited with their beloved pets in the last year. Basil, for example, is a seven-year-old birman cat who lives with his owner in Sussex. Thankfully for Basil, he was chipped in May 2002 and his owner later signed up to Identichip Locate, so when Basil then went missing in March this year, the reunification process was set in motion. A member of the public recognised Basil from a poster a couple of months later, and he was reunited with his owner, rather thin but well!

Two year old Malibu the cat was even luckier. He wandered away from his Leicestershire home in August this year and, within an hour and a half of his poster being displayed locally, he had been found and was reunited with his delighted owner.

It is understandably traumatic when a pet goes missing and Identichip Locate has an important part to play in assisting owners to trace their pets and in speeding up the reunification process. With over 4,000 readers in use throughout the UK, a pet has a far greater chance of being found if it’s chipped with an Identichip.

Membership costs just £11.95 for the lifetime of the pet and application forms are available from Animalcare on 01904 487600. Once the owner’s application has been received and processed, a full membership pack is sent to them and their pet is immediately protected by Identichip Locate.

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