Save This Life Microchip Update & Reregistration Opportunities
Save This Life, a microchip company, abruptly shutdown in early February 2025. Learn how their closure impacts your pet and what registration options are available to you.
- 4 mins.
- Posted by Stand For Animals Staff
- Operations
This blog post covers the following topics:
- Save This Life shutdown
- How your pet may be impacted
- Options to reregister your pet's microchip with other companies
Save This Life shutdown
In early February 2025 pet owners were shocked to discover that Save This Life, a popular microchip registration company, had abruptly shut down leaving thousands of pets with unliked microchips.
Microchips save lives by enabling pets to be connected to their owner. A microchip is a small electric device, around the size of a grain of sand, that is implanted under your pet's skin, typically between their shoulder blades. This small chip contains a unique ID that is linked to your registered contact information. Mircochips can be scanned and your contact information easily accessible to reunite you with your lost pet.
How your pet may be impacted
Stand For Animals used Save This Life microchips in our practice from 2013-2022. When Save This Life shut down, their database containing the microchip IDs and their associated owner contact information were disconnected. This means that if your pet with a Save This Life microchip were to be scanned today, your contact information would not appear. An unregistered microchip makes it much more difficult for your pet to be returned to you if they become lost.
If your pet received a microchip at Stand For Animals between 2013-2022 your pet has a Save This Life chip and it needs to be registered with a new company. If you aren’t sure what the microchip ID is, which is required in order to register, please contact us at 704-970-2711 or info@standforanimals.org and we can provide you with the ID.
If you are unsure if your pet is microchipped or unsure which company is associated with your pet’s microchip, you are welcome to come to any of our three locations, no appointment necessary, during business hours and we can scan your pet to determine the microchip ID. Any veterinary practice or animals shelter will have a microchip scanner and can also scan your pet. Some pet stores also carry scanners but we recommend you call them before going to ensure they have a scanner and it is working.
Once you have the microchip ID, enter that ID into a search engine (Google, Bing, etc.) and the search results will tell you which company is associated with your pet’s microchip.
To help ensure that your contact information is still linked with a Save This Life microchip implanted by Stand For Animals, we partnered with Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control (CMACC). We provided CMACC with all the Save This Life microchip IDs we implanted and its associated basic contact information. This effort increases the potential of reuniting you with your pet should they become lost and end up at a CMACC shelter.
Reregistering your pet’s microchip
Microchips are only helpful if they are linked to the pet owner’s contact information. If your pet’s microchip is from Save This Life, you need to reregister the chip with a new company. This will enable your contact information to be linked, once again, with your pet’s microchip.
There are a many options available in the marketplace. It can be overwhelming to understand the choices and pick one.
We recommend these two companies.
As the name implies, Free Pet Chip Registry is a free registry for microchips. When you register your contact information and your pet’s microchip ID with the Free Pet Chip Registry, your information is entered into a nationally-recognized database ensuring your pet is connected to you.
Register online: https://www.freepetchipregistry.com/
In 2022 Stand For Animals switched to using HomeAgain microchips. HomeAgain is offering pets impacted by the Save This Life shutdown a free enrollment in their system. Enter the code EnrollSTL at checkout to receive one year of free premium membership. HomeAgain does require you to enter a credit card when checking out. Your card will not be charged at time of registration. If you choose not to pay for a premium HomeAgain membership when your year or free service ends, HomeAgain will maintain your record and allow updates for no charge.
Register online: https://www.homeagain.com/
Register via phone: 1-888-HOMEAGAIN (1-888-466-3242)
Please note: If you choose to call instead of enrolling online, expect a delay due to high volume. Have your pet’s Save This Life microchip number handy and let the customer care agent know that you were referred by your veterinarian.
Other options
- PetLink.net ($1 when you use code 'STLDOLLAR' at checkout)
- 24Petwatch
Final thoughts
Microchipping your pet is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to ensure you and your pet are reunited if separated, but it only works if your contact information is linked to your pet's microchip. Take a few minutes to check on your pet's microchip. Do you know their microchip ID number? With what company is the microchip registered? Is your registered contact information up to date? If your pet has a Safe This Life microchip, have you reregistered your pet with a new company of your choice?
Taking action now to make sure your registration information is set up correctly can make a huge difference if your pet ever is lost. If you have any questions or concerns about microchips or the Save This Life shutdown, please reach out!