All my previous dogs have been registered with Petlog, and so have the litters we've bred. (Which I've chipped myself and registered to Petlog.)

We are going to purchase a new puppy soon and she is registered with PETtrac. Someone tell me about this... Which is better? I think I can apply to transfer her chip to Petlog and I will do this if it makes no difference as I'd like all the dogs on the same account really.

Does anyone have any opinions about which registry is best? Pros or cons?

Well I just emailed PETtrac about transferring to Petlog and they said:

"Thank you for your email. We would not suggest changing databases, as the MicroChip numbers themselves identify which database holds the record so by switching databases it adds a further step into the reunification process.

However, if this is something you would like to do, we would need a signed request from you confirming you would like the record to be removed from our database to allow you to register the MicroChip with the database of your choosing.

Once we have received this signed request through, we will be able to send the confirmation over to the new database giving them permission to accept the registration. At this point you will be able to contact the database to complete the registration with them."

This sounds very complicated. I have to wait for one registry to contact another registry and give them permission (how do I know when that has happened?) and then contact Petlog myself... Sheesh. I just feel like they are making this deliberately difficult so people just stay with them.

Is there a good reason I should persevere with this and get the chip moved to Petlog??

Looks like they are one of the databases that is recommended by the government so if it was me I wouldn't worries about it unless you really prefer petlog.

I would just go ahead and register with Petlog as it's the main database.
Some of these other databases cannot be checked or come up as chip not registered.

I would stick with Pettrac. As you were told, the first numbers of the microchip identify which database authorised the chip. This means that if the animal was found and scanned, and any of the databases contacted (such as Petlog) they'd direct the finder to Pettrac without even looking on their database, because it's not one of 'theirs'. transferring to another database would make it much more difficult to identify the owner.

Thanks folks. I guess I will stick with PETtrac. There's enough paperwork involved in getting a new pup already without complicated microchip stuff...

I do think Petlog has the better website and interface though...

This means that if the animal was found and scanned, and any of the databases contacted (such as Petlog) they'd direct the finder to Pettrac without even looking on their database,


That isn't how the "search"portals work,  I don't know how much you know about the search portals, the the programming is designed to search the owning company's database first, eg Petlog & if the chip is recorded with them, even if it is a foreign chip or from a chip company that has it's own database & search facility(like Pettrac) the program will find it. If it isn't registered with the database it will search for a database linked to the chip number.

If you ring Petlog they don't just look at the number & say it's a database X chip, if it's a chip that wouldn't normally be registered with them. they run it through a portal search to trace it.

To be honest it sounds a bit like mobile phone numbers! They used to be connected with a specific carrier but you can port your number to a new carrier if you want so you can no longer assume that a certain code means someone is with a certain carrier...

Right?

I'm still not sure what to do. Maybe I should ask Petlog for their perspective on it...