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A Tale of Two Microchips

Kate H

Well-known member
When Aled had his scan at the beginning of May they checked his microchip - and found it had a totally different number to the one on his KC Activity Register certificate. The one on his certificate was the microchip done by Many Tears and then registered in my name when I adopted him. So I rang Many Tears and asked if Aled had been microchipped when he came into rescue; no, was the initial answer. So then I rang Petrak, the firm MT use. Yes, Aled was registered to me, but the other microchip number was a Petlog one. So I rang Petlog, who told me that yes, that was one of their numbers, but it wasn't registered in my name. They wouldn't tell me who had registered him, of course, but I would really love to know! It almost certainly wasn't the owner of the puppy farm that Aled came from, so it seems that Aled was bred by someone else and kept by them at least until he was old enough to be microchipped, or sold to a new owner who had him done. But how did he then end up in a puppy farm? Did the new owner sell him on, perhaps via an ad in the local paper, and the puppy farmer snapped him up? It makes me wonder if he is actually KC breed registered, or has a decent pedigree - he is really a very pretty Cavalier.

Anyway, my vet checked that he did indeed have two microchips, so I went back to MT and they are arranging for his Petlog microchip to be transferred to me - if he ever went missing or got stolen, and a vet checked him and picked up the first microchip (the two are about 2 inches apart) I want to be sure that it will lead them to me - not some unknown breeder/first owner who hasn't bothered to change the registration more than 3 years after losing sight of their dog.

What a saga - it took me hours to sort it all out, but I'm glad the earlier microchip got picked up, as I had no idea it even existed.

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
Hmmm. Not sure how MT can transfer a chip that wasn't in their name to start with? (eg if from the puppy farm). From my own rescue experience, I would guess that he was likely someone's pet and somehow -- lost, stolen, sold by someone who never realised he was going to a puppy farm -- he ended up in a puppy farm. Or that he didn't come from a puppy farm and there's more to this than is being said to you. I think it is extremely unlikely a puppy farm dog would be chipped by the breeder -- no reason to.

All in all -- baffling that a rescue would not have scanned a dog and known it had a chip. This is absolutely the first thing a responsible rescue has their vet do (or does themselves if they have a scanner). Very bizarre that he could then have been rechipped as well. :confused: Strange. That said sometimes a chip can be missed -- but only if someone isn't taking the proper time to check. But a rescue or vet should know how to do a proper scan.
 
I wonder if petlog would release the details to your vet ?
He certainly doesn't seem to be typical of a puppy farm dog and I would agree with Karlin,that there may be more to it than is being said.
Are you going to try and pursue it further?
Sins
 
What a dilema for you and a worry too. Not sure what I'd do....I'd be totally intregued to know about his past but whats important is his "Now" and his "Future" and thats with you.

Good Luck

Mel
 
What a saga for you. I know someone who is having problems of having a microchipping ownership transferred over to them, they purchased a 12 month old dog not that long ago, from what they have been told and the paperwork they have, this dog was purchased from a breeder as a pup, microchipped by this owner and then at about 10 months old castrated and then sold to a new owner who appears to have only had it a few weeks from whom she purchased it from, they had a folder with all the dogs paperwork, KC registration etc. They wrote to the original owner to explain the circumstances and ask for them to sign the form for the microchip to be transferred into their name but as far as I am aware they never received a reply - all very worrying for them.
 
Aled was 18 months old when I had him. What I was told by Many Tears was that he came from a Welsh puppy farm where he had been intended as a stud dog but hadn't wanted to perform (sensible chap!) and had been handed over to MT. So he could well have been pre-owned and stolen or strayed, or quite legitimately offered for sale if the owner died and the family sold him, or circumstances such as work hours changed. I've always been a bit puzzled by this, as if he was 18 months when I adopted him, and he'd already been neutered and had teeth removed at MT and spent several weeks in a foster home, he must have been about 15-16 months when he went to MT, which seemed quite early to give up on a good-looking dog as a potential stud (leaving on one side the fact that he shouldn't have been used that early anyway!) - some take longer than others to get the idea! MT were very apologetic about the muddle and said that three years ago they weren't as careful about checks and paperwork as they are now their records are computerised - they always have a huge number of dogs passing through the kennels being assessed, treated for any ailments and then sent on to foster homes. Legally I think they still own Aled (can't rememeber exactly what the adoption agreement says), as the agreement is that if ever I can't keep him, he has to go back to them, which is why they can change the microchip registration on my behalf.

Anyway, having both chips in my name is the important thing, though I think Aled could tell us an interesting story!

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
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