What is an Identipet microchip?
It is a tiny electronic microcircuit sealed into a biocompatible glass tube. 11mm long and 2mm wide (about the size of a grain of rice)

How is it implanted?
Each microchip is individually packaged in a sterile syringe. This is then a simple injection at the inoculation site (for dogs and cats) between the shoulder blades, by a veterinarian or a trained person.

Is it painful?
No more than any inoculation.

How does it work?
The microchip has an unalterable unique number coded into it. This microchip number is read by means of a scanner. The scanner is similar in the size and shape of a ping-pong bat. The scanner emits a electro-magnetic wave that instantaneously “excites” the microchip. The microchip responds to the scanner with its number, which can then be read off the scanner’s screen.

Tell me about this number.
It is totally unique and from a series of 34 billion unique numbers. It can never be duplicated, altered or erased. Its uniqueness will stand up in a court of law. Identipet supplies the companion animal world in South Africa, 10 digit (alpha-numeric) microchips. The FDX-A microchips are the predominant microchip protocol worldwide and have been the protocol adopted by Identipet South Africa for the past 16 years. FDX-B (15 digit) microchips, although used in Europe and Asia are not compatible with the installed base of Identipet-scanners at SPCAs and Animal Welfare Organisations countrywide.

Who keeps the Microchip number?
Each microchip is packaged with a four part registration form. The veterinarian completes the form with the owner and animal details. The veterinarian, the owner, Identipet, and the breed society keep copies of the form.

Who keeps the database?
Identipet loads the information sent back to them, onto their companion animal database (which currently holds over 200 000 records).  Authorised users (Vets, SPCAs, Animal Welfare Societies etc) can access this database information 7 days a week from the Identipet office, or by using their cellphone, can access the information within 30 seconds of sending the microchip number to Identipet’s dataline “ 084 PET INFO”.

What happens if my pet is lost?
Most lost animals are taken to a vet or SPCA. The animal is scanned for a microchip, and the Identipet Database is contacted.  Information (telephone and cell numbers, address and other owner details) is provided, and the owners are informed of their pet’s whereabouts.

How well does the Identipet system work?
Brilliantly!  Identipet annually reunites several thousand lost or stolen animals with their owners.  Data provided by the SPCA shows that the average time that it takes to re-home a lost pet (that has been microchipped) animal is two hours, compared with several days for an unidentified animal, if that animal is not eventually euthanased.

Who can scan my lost pet?
Hundreds of users of the Identipet system, with over 2000 scanners countrywide. Most vets in the large centers (and many in the smaller centers) are equipped to scan all lost, abandoned or stolen animals. All branches of the SPCA, as well as Animal Welfare Organisations are supplied with Identipet-scanners to assist them in the identification of lost, strayed, stolen, abandoned and adopted pets.

Can the microchip migrate?
Identipet microchips do not migrate.  They are the ONLY microchips with the patented BioBond™ technology of an anti-migration cap.  This sets us aside for all other microchips that cannot claim this essential feature.

What animals can be microchipped?
Any animal. From fingerling fish to rhino and elephants.

What about tattoos or collars with tags?
Tattoos can fade and become illegible. Collars and discs become lost.

What does the microchip cost?
The microchip and its insertion by a vet or SPCA can cost between R80 – R150. Your pet is then identifiable for life. The microchip never “wears” out. Your pet will always have an identity.

Is there an Annual Identipet Service Fee?
Yes. The current charge for this is R40.00 per year per animal.

Apart from the cost of data retention and management, updates etc. Identipet supplies free of charge, to ALL Animal Welfare Organisations, and ALL of their branches, the Identipet Lost Pet Recovery System and the scanners required to actively identify lost, strayed and stolen pets and thereby facilitate those pets return to their owners.

Veterinarians, SPCAs, and all who implant microchips know about the Annual Service Fee. They are constantly reminded to fully inform the client about this fee, before implanting the microchip.

Identipet sends out annually (mid-year), a letter to confirm, and update, any owner or pet information (addresses or telephone numbers etc.) that may have changed in the past year. Should the letter be undeliverable due to the postal address not having been updated by the pet owner, Identipet data staff go to great lengths to trace the owner by phoning all available contact numbers, as well as following up on address leads etc.

Should your pet be lost, all Identipet services are free. There is no charge for re-homing of animals.

What about a Lifetime Membership?
Identipet offers a lifetime membership for any pet of R300. This gives lifetime coverage as well as ensuring you receive annual update letters and product offers, but do not pay further, and are not subject to future increases.

Who is Identipet?
Identipet is one of the (only) 6 world distributors of implantable microchips for Digital Angel (formerly Destron-Fearing) the worlds largest manufacturer of implantable microchips.

Identipet has been operating in South Africa since 1990 and supplies about 97% of the South African market of implantable microchips for animal identification.