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Microchipping rules

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gypsysmum2

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My dog was microchipped in Romania. He went through rescue a couple of times in the uk until I adopted him. The rescue centre told me that they would not transfer ownership as the adopter is considered to be a "foster" home. At first I was fine with this but now I am not.

Does anyone know the rules of how I can re register him under my name and address? When you log in and try to do it on line they ask for the vet reference code. There is a form that can be filled in by the previous registered owner but they are obviously not going to do that.

I know the rules are there to stop me stealing a dog and re registering it to me but it is frustrating me to know that, should he go missing, he will be re united with the rescue centre and not with me. They may be closed. They may have lost his records (not the most organised of people :( )

I used to work in a vet's and should know this but it was handled by the nurses and rules change.

Surely, by now, I should be considered the legal owner of the dog? When you read the law it says that if you are the registered "keeper" of the dog you must have the dog microchipped and registered to you at your address.

Any ideas?
 
I would suggest that you contact Pet log and tell them everything.

I am sure they will know what to do.

I microchip.

My understanding is that over here in the UK the breeder of a litter must microchip all puppies by 8 weeks of age, the breeder becomes the first owner.

Thereafter the new owner / carer is then responsible for recording the change of ownership details and that if the owner can not be traced, that the breeder/first owner is notified. Which in my mind is perfect for me. The rescue centre should be able to record with your details, you as your dogs carer on his microchip details (I think)

Best you ring Pet log with as much information as possible.

Good luck and please let us know the outcome. An interesting situation!
 
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Joanne - I have looked at that form. What bothers me is that I could steal the dog and have it re registered to me. It just looks too simple. In my case, I have a microchip number from his Romanian Passport (a copy - they lost the original) but it is not absolutely clear as it is handwritten.

My vet has indicated that they could read the chip but they are not strictly allowed to give me the number. For the same reasons as above, I assume, i.e. I could have stolen the dog.

Excuseme - If they were a reasonable group of people I am sure that I could go down that route. In fact the local DogLost coordinator advised me to go down that route.

This rescue is owned by a married couple who are quite eccentric. They regard themselves as guardians of all things living. They never euthanase. They keep blind deer, one winged pigeons, rabbits with myxomatosis etc. As far as they are concerned they are the only ones who can guarantee the welfare of each animal. This means that they will not relinquish ownership. Holding the microchip details gives them that control. If they transfer it to me they relinquish control.

I think my strongest case lies in the fact that I am the "keeper" in law and so obliged to have the dog registered to me at my address. Having worked for my vet they are a little more disposed to believe me and they know that I have vaccinated, neutered (yes he came entire, with a retained testicle!) treated him etc and so would probably support my declaration that I am the dog's keeper. They did indicate, when I made a tentative enquiry, that they are not supposed to divulge his microchip number to me. I took this to mean that they could only divulge it to the Dog Warden or to the owner on the microchip database.
 
Trevor Cooper, the canine law specialist, might be able to advise but given you haven't actually got a problem it is perhaps overkill. But if you need to contact him, http://www.doglaw.co.uk/
 
What sort of paperwork did you get with the dog ? Do they say that they retain ownership at all times? (then maybe they would like to pay the bills)

All sounds too complicated for me. However, I would want the dog returned to my address if I was his carer/keeper.
 
Thanks Joanne, I was trying to remember that website. They do charge for this kind of dispute so I will keep it in mind for now.

Excuseme - unfortunately, I cannot find the adoption agreement. Perhaps they did not give me a copy. I am sure it will say that they retain ownership. I do have the six weeks free Pet Plan insurance document that they completed and gave me. It has my name on it and the dog's name on it. I have all his lab records from the treatment he received with them. I have a copy of his Romanian passport. The previous owners kept the original. My vet will have records going back two years from when I registered him and then had him neutered and vaccinated etc.

They told me verbally that they retain ownership at all times. I know that they can enforce it because my dog was homed once and he came back into their care for medical treatment and they refused to return him to his adopters. I was told that the adopters were fighting to get him back but that they wouldn't win.

This is what worries me. If he was picked up, and returned to them rather than me, they could, it seems, keep him.

I might ask the Dog Warden if they know the law on this. It is the word "keeper" that I am pinning my hopes upon. The law says that the "keeper" must have the dog microchipped and the microchip must be registered in their name and address. As I have now had him for two years and he was one year old when I got him, I have owned him longer than anyone. Surely, in law, that must count as me being the "keeper"?
 
Hi, I had this exact same situation with my dog. I phoned Petlog and asked the question and was asked to complete a form for this purpose. I think I had the microchip number (can't check, I'm at work) but it was all processed without issues and I'm listed on Petlog. I also think that my adoption agreement also says the rescue centre retains ownership but I have not read anything untoward into this. I hope you get your situation resolved.
 
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Thank you :)

The Dog Warden says the law changed last year and rescue centres are allowing new owners to re register their dogs in their name. I am going to give it a go with my sanctuary but will not hold my breath. He says to come back to him if I get no joy. Some rescue centres are putting dual names on.
 
gypsysmum2 said:
Thank you :)

I thought about your predicament, as i was in a similar situation with my second dog that I've just taken on. I hope you don't mind but i mentioned this situation to my groomer, who has a lot more experience with the vagueness of microchipping. Apparently,some UK dog rescues can be funny when it comes to transferring ownership over on a microchip - personally, i find that strange as it defeats the object of a microchip identifying ownership?

She did say that some microchip companies - with the consent of owners - will register two addresses? That way if the worst came to the worst there would be two points of contact. From what you've said, the rescue place don't sound very co-operative, but it might be worth approaching them again to see if you can both have details on the chip? I have one dog with anibase and another with petlog - i've only contacted anibase on one occasion by telephone and found them to be really helpful, so that may be a good port of call. I think the laws around microchipping are still in their infant stage, so there's little advice available at the moment? Hope that helps

The Dog Warden says the law changed last year and rescue centres are allowing new owners to re register their dogs in their name. I am going to give it a go with my sanctuary but will not hold my breath. He says to come back to him if I get no joy. Some rescue centres are putting dual names on.
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Well, after much prevaricating, I decided to just send in the change of ownership form and see what happens. My research showed that, as the "keeper" of the dog, I was obliged, in law, to have his microchip registered in my name. Rather than involve the rescue, because I already knew their position, I just sent in the form with the fee.

I saw the cheque had been cashed and then a letter welcoming me to PetLog's upgraded service arrived. All sorted!

So relieved! I don't know why it bothered me so much but it was just awful to consider that, if he lost his collar tag, and went missing he would end up back at the original rescue (assuming they had even re registered his Romanian chip which is not guaranteed knowing them).

Funnily enough after I sent off the form he did lose his collar tag! All sorted now, though, and I can relax.
 
For anybody else reading this, the alternative (in a situation where the chip details really cannot be changed) is to explain to the vet that the chip is an old one from another country and most will happily insert another chip and allow you to register your details for the new chip, providing two sets of details.

Plenty of chips get lost, ejected naturally or damaged to the point that they no longer work.  Rechipping is normal in those circumstances.
 
Thanks for that eingana :)

A previous rescue dog of ours was microchipped by my vet not long after we acquired him. He was well known at that vet's and it was through them that I acquired him when he was nine years old. We took him abroad with us and when he presented at the Pet Passport Office in Calais to have his passport checked his chip did not match his passport!!!! Visions of this nine year old ending up in quarantine flashed before my eyes when the operative scanned again and found the "new" chip that matched his passport. Phew! He had been chipped at some time in his life and the naughty vet had not scanned him before inserting his new one.
 
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