A question of microchip registering?

[Laura2408]

Hi,
Sorry for second post in two days!

I have a rescue dog who is microchipped to the rescue. He didn't actually ever go there as he went straight into foster with me but was technically under their care. I paid and legally adopted him 4 years ago.

He has never gone missing and has a collar with tags however his chip is still registered under a non transferable chip to the rescue centre with them as the only contact. I want him registered to me but the rescue owner is not willing to change themselves as first contact.

I have problem with this as
- he is my dog and I have owned and paid for him for 4 years, can they take him back if he were to get lost??!! What if they decide I am not capable for whatever reason and refuse to hand him over?
- I live miles and miles from the rescue as I moved (from north west to north east- a long way!!) so he could end up much further from home than needs be. They might not even collect him that far anyway then what?
- I would feel happier knowing if he was lost I would get a phone call!

I wouldn't mind the rescue being a second contact but am I wrong in wanting to be first?

I understand this is a trivial issue but is there anything I can do about this?
If I speak to the chip company with evidence I have had him for 4 years will they contact the rescue to ask permission first still or go from evidence?

Thanks!!

 

[twiggy2]

a good rescue should keep all animals chip registered to them so that if an animal is dumped it goes back to them for re-homing, from their point of view it does allow them to keep tabs on an animal in case it ever ends up as a stray or part of a cruelty case.

most rescue state the animal is never yours but that you adopt the animal and if ever you cannot keep it it goes back to them.

a rescue should keep records of every person that adopts/fosters an animal from them and if they get a call about a dog they have homed that has been found their first port of call would usually be the person the dog lives with (you in this case).

 

[Morag4]

Did you sign a contract when you adopted him, we did when we adopted ours and we are on the microchip as first contact the rescue as second, if anything happens to us she is as per contract suppossed to go back to the rescue. Unless the contract says you are to be second contact then I don't see a valid reason for the rescue to want to stay first contact and refuse. If that makes sense.
When did you request to go on as first contact?

 

[Laura2408]

The rescue is a small independent one- one lady and her house really. It is not a registered charity on the scale of the rspca, more like 5 dogs max.
The woman who runs it has in the past been very difficult on other matters relating to this sort of thing (not related to me at all- all stories from others for example refusing to hand a lost dog back) and hence I don't want him to ever go back there but i don't want to rock the boat by asking her if that makes sense incase she tries to take him back.

I wouldn't mind if it was a proper charity such as the dogs trust or blue cross but I feel incomfortable with him being registered to such a small place? I have no idea if they even keep records.

I signed a contract but he was never there. A friend volunteered for the rescue and so told me about him and he came straight to me as a foster until adoption. He never had any treatment from them, I paid for all vaccs/neutering/vet treatment/behavioural assessmentS as he had bitten. Unfortunately he was already chipped and they changed his details to them under a non transferable chip.

Sorry this is a big vague- obviously I want to avoid the rescue being recognised but I did live in the west at the time and now live a 2 hour drive from them so it's a bit of a waste of time if he was lost for them to ring her as I doubt she would collect him!

I just wondered if the chip company use common sense in sutuations such as this or whether it's more black and white than that?
Thanks everyone

 

[Dry Rot]

Is there any reason why I dog cannot be double chipped? Presumably whoever found it would contact the nearest registry? Or both?

 

[Tedley]

If a dog is double chipped if it gets lost obviously whoever finds it will take it somewhere to be scanned for a chip, but as you would only expect a dog to have 1 microchip once one is found no one would think to continue looking for a second. So then it would just be luck as to whether they found the one registered to you or the one registered to the rescue and only one of you would be contacted.

Your best bet will be to speak to your vets that you use and ask their advice. They may be able to contact the microchip company on your behalf to back you up as being the registered owner, in certain cases all that's needed to change the contact details on the chip to yours is a vet to write a statement stating that you are the new owner and that your details should be the most current attached to the chip.

Hope this helps, I work in a vets and have assisted owners with this previously so I'm sure they'll be able to help and advise you further. The only other option is to have the current chip removed under sedation and replaced with a new one which only has your details on, I know this sounds drastic but if you are concerned and the details can't be changed any other way this may be your best option.

Good luck!

 

[CAYLA]

I would be shocked and surprised if any vet would remove a chip from and animal and would probably find themselves in serious bother if they did so....if this could be done so readily then really there would be no point in chipping dogs. Could you imagine if the rescue got wind of that! We have non transferable chips and we are alerted if anyone attempts to change and the request is immediately denied by the microchip company. We are more lenient and will add a number if requested and the dog has been in the home a stipulated period and we are content that the dog is secure but our rescue always remains on. OP How many times have you requested your name be added and dont forget if the rescue can't be contacted or dont answer then even as 2nd contact you will be phoned immediately.

 

[CAYLA]

Im on tablet, I will post a bit more indepthly to explan why we have non transferable chips.

 

[Dobiegirl]

Tedley Im horrified at your suggestion about getting the chip removed and replaced with another, it makes a mockery of the reason for chipping in the first place.

Ive been a supporters of the Bruce Forsyth Vets get scanning movement which is trying to get all the vets in the country to scan every new dog that comes into their practice in order to locate stolen dogs, BFs daughter had 2 dogs stolen and they were horrified to find they had been sold and had been under going vet treatment without the vet once scanning.

If people thought for one moment that vets could remove chips what would be the point of chipping? as for rescues, one of the first thing they do is chip dogs and owners after a certain time having proved they are worthy are then added to the chip with the rescue.