Microchiping - do they need to be registered in multiple places?

Kash

Hello!

We recently bought a puppy and she was already microchipped. The breeder gave us the chip registration form etc. which we had to send off to Link Up, ElfGroup in Kildare. I received back a certificate of registration with our details, the dog's and the chip's.

Our other dogs have all been registered with Fido. Out of interest, I used their chip checker and the new puppy's details cannot be found on Fido. Is there a central database that all chips feed into, or do I need to register in multiple places?

DBB

I have no idea who Link Up are?
That's not to say they're not legit or good... But I've never heard of them and I run a rescue But I do confess though that I'm not as in touch with the nuances of microchip databases since the introduction of the new legislation.
I'd be inclined to register with Fido as a matter of course... They're far and away the most user friendly both in terms of finding a dog, and looking for one. You won't need a 2nd cert from them though.

Cherry Blossom

I googled Link up and the only thing that comes up is a thread in another forum by someone trying to figure out who they are. Did your puppy come from a reputable breeder and is it IKC registered?

If it were me I'd get your vet to scan and confirm the microchip number and register it with Fido and get the cert from them.

muddypaws

Gosh, I really don't think that Link Up are an authorised database, so you do need to register the chip with Fido or one of the other recognised databases.

Sorry OP, this sounds very similar to another crowd that used to run their own puppy registry, with their own microchips, it was run by the man that owned the huge puppy farm in Carlow that was closed down.

Chuchote

This is lunacy. Why aren't microchips run by the State?

I had my now very aged dog registered with one company, was in the vet's (who had set it up) a couple of years ago and asked about it, and they said, oh, that company's shut down now, it's Company X now. So I contacted the company and gave them the bar code or whatever it was the vet had, and they re-registered my dog to them.

If the State wants to insist that all dogs be barcoded, then the State should jolly well be responsible for the barcoding and chipping, and should link it to the dog licence.

/Rant

OP - if I were you I'd contact Fido and also give Fido the registration details.

Kash

I had contacted Fido to see if they were familiar with Link Up - they were not. They were very helpful though and advised that she would need to be registered with a government approved database, and listed the four approved databases:

1. Animark
2. DSPCA
3. Fido
4. IKC

They also recommended checking eupetnet, which consolidates the data from connected databases - it lists the four above as being connected for Ireland, no mention of Link Up there either.

I ended up registering her with Animark, as Fido needed a code that I didn't have, and I wanted to do it straight away. I've also contacted the breeder to let them know as if that was my first dog, I would have assumed she was on a searchable database.

Hopefully, if someone comes on boards with a query they will find this and know more.

Cherry Blossom

Did you get your vet to actually check that the dog is microchipped and that the chip number is correct?

Kash

We're in next week for boosters, so I will get them to check then.
I am almost 100% sure she is chipped correctly, I can feel it!

muddypaws

I did a bit of research OP, the link up chips are apparently very cheap, so are popular with breeders of a lot of pups, and they will probably be implanting the chips themselves

Could you please report the company that sent you the registration certificate to either the Gardai or the Department of Agriculture, as they are breaking the law. As Fido explained to you, there are only 4 authorised databases. Thankfully you knew what you were doing, but as you say, new dog owners probably wouldn't realise that the chip is useless, as they won't be able to be traced in case of the dog straying.

Kash

It was definitely implanted by a vet. I have the vets contact details, and the vaccination records etc. This wasn't a puppy farm type scenario, or anything like that - but the vet clearly uses Link Up, which seems like a waste of time. They did send me a collar tag with their number, but if she is anything like my other dogs, the collar tag (and often the collar) could be lost within a few weeks.

muddypaws

Then unfortunately the vet needs to be reported. The law is clear, that the chip must be registered on an authorised database, which this one is not.

Kash

Unfortunately the law is not clear enough for me to feel comfortable reporting the vet. I did my own research and looked at MICROCHIPPING OF DOGS REGULATIONS 2015 which states that " a dog identification database is a database listed on the website of the Department of State of the Minister that complies with the conditions set down in the Schedule, is used to record the information specified in paragraph (2) as notified to the operator and whose operator has signed a service agreement with the Minister for the purpose of these regulations"

Yet, the microchipping section of the website is blank, and I cannot find any database listed:
https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animalhealthwelfare/dogmicrochipping/

I have alerted the Department Of Agriculture to that fact, and given details of LinkUp and the address, but I do not feel comfortable reporting the vet. I'm no legal expert by any means, but as far as I can see, without a list of databases on the website, all databases are technically unapproved, making Link Up is as legitimate as Fido.

It really bugs me as I am sure that there are many owners who feel their dogs are properly registered and assume that they have some safeguards in case of loss, and yet if they are, they may never be identified!!

Chuchote

It's quite obvious that this needs to be regularised, and also properly linked to the European database.

Choc Chip

They list the 4 (though it says the Irish Coursing Club rather than the DSPCA) here: http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/press/pressreleases/2016/december/title,104581,en.html

There's also a link to a pdf of the authorised databases but the link's broken (http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/animalhealthwelfare/dogmicrochipping/dogmicrochipping151015.pdf ) I'd imagine it's just a glitch on their system and their IT department should be able to fix it if it's brought to their attention. I'll pop them over another email on this so they've a few complaints about it on their system.

Databases do have to be part of euronet.ie so it is linked to european databases as far as I'm aware.

Could you drop a quick letter to the vet OP? It could be an oversight on their part. I love my vet and he's brilliant with my animals but a lot of the vets I know can be more practically-minded than legislatively and the fact that it's not an authorised database might just have been overlooked...

Inexile

I'm rather shocked to read that a vet is using microchips that are not approved databases.

The four databases are the IKC, Fido, ICC (Irish Coursing Club) and Animark. These are all linked up to Europetnet.

Having your dog registered to a database that is not linked to Europetnet is useless as only the main databases are checked.

I know it is an offence to allow a person to acquire a dog or to acquire a dog that is not chipped now and as far as I know it is an offence to transfer ownership of a dog if the chip is not from one of the approved databases.

I would really take this up with both the seller of the dog and your vet.

Inexile

Chuchote wrote: »

It's quite obvious that this needs to be regularised, and also properly linked to the European database.

But it is regularised. Its cover by legislation but as ever people are either deliberately or unwittingly breaking the law.

undecided

Thanks op for posting this thread like yourself I've just got a new puppy last week which was chipped with the link up chip. Likewise it was administered by a vet and have vaccine record. It's my first pup since microchip was introduced so I just assumed all was good. Rang link up to query how to register in my name thought I was done! Wouldn't mind but was at my own vet for vaccine and he never said anything about it!

Kash

I'm glad I could help - I'd hate to think there are dogs in rescues and pounds that the owners can't find purely because the database isn't easily searchable.