16 Mar 2021
Chartered Trading Standards Institute warns veterinary professionals about UK Pet Chip Registry, which claims it will add pet microchip details to national database that does not meet UK Government standards.
James Westgate
Job Title
Image © Todorean Gabriel / Adobe Stock
Veterinary professionals are being warned about a bogus website advertised on Google that is offering pet microchip registration.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has issued the warning about the UK Pet Chip Registry, which claims that for a charge of £15, it will add the pet’s microchip details to the so-called National Pet Microchip Registration Database.
However, the database quoted does not meet UK Government standards and, as such, is not on the list of Government-endorsed pet databases. Failure to register a pet on an authorised database carries a fine of up to £500.
The CTSI has issued the warning at a time of increased pet sales due to the desire for companionship during the COVID‑19 lockdown.
In November, Dogs Trust reported large rises in demand for puppies, and Google search results for “buy a puppy” have increased 115% since the beginning of lockdown.
Steph Young, CTSI lead officer for animal welfare, said: “It is vital that when purchasing a puppy, members of the public must register the chip on one of the 15 databases verified by the UK Government. If they do not, they risk a fine of up to £500.
“The database quoted by UK Pet Chip Registry does not conform to UK Government standards, and signing up to it alone puts the user at risk of a fine and the needless cost of the money used to pay for it.
“The public should always follow Government guidance, not paid-for adverts on search engines.”
Katherine Hart, a fellow lead officer at the CTSI, added: “The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a great deal of opportunism and, in many cases, outright scams.
“Many people suffer from loneliness during the lockdown, and purchasing a furry companion is an increasingly popular option.
“We are all so much more vulnerable now. The public must be increasingly vigilant, sceptical and, above all, check the law and UK Government advice when making these decisions.
“Ignorance of the law excuses no one – make sure you register your pet on a verified database.”
The statement from the CTSI has been welcomed by two of the leading players in the pet microchip business, Animalcare and Avid.
Avid manages the UK PETtrac database while Animalcare runs Identibase – both are Government-approved and Defra-compliant.
Animalcare contact centre manager Mike Jamieson said: “We welcome the statement by the CTSI and believe that, as an industry, we all have a part to play in reminding pet keepers of the importance of ensuring that their microchipped pets are registered with a Defra‑approved database.
“At Identibase, we regularly receive calls from owners who innocently sign up with databases that are not Defra-compliant. It can be devastating when they learn that their pets are not protected after all.”
Simon Clark from AVID added: “Sadly we’ve been made aware of this website from pet owners and naturally we are concerned about anything that would potentially jeopardise the successful reunification of a pet with their owner.
“If vet practices would like to promote a link to pet owners they are more than welcome to link to www.check-a-chip.co.uk which will then direct pet owners to the correct database websites.”
