Pet owners are being encouraged to take a few minutes to check their animals’ microchip details this week.

Animal welfare advocates are warning that a microchip is only effective if it is linked to up-to-date contact information.

Saturday, August 15, marks Check the Chip Day, a nationwide campaign led by the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR) to help ensure lost pets can be reunited with their families.

NZCAR manager Sarah Clements said in a media statement that thousands of lost pets are reunited with their owners each year thanks to microchips, but many people misunderstand how the technology works.

“A lot of people think a microchip stores their contact details or works like a GPS tracker, but that’s not true,” Clements said.

“A microchip simply holds a unique identification number. It’s only when that number is linked to their family’s information in a registration database that it can help reunite a lost pet with their guardian.”

The register said confusion around microchipping, registration requirements and council rules continued to create problems when pets went missing.

Clements said microchipping was an important first step, but keeping registration information up to date gave pets the best chance of getting home safely.

The advice applies to more than just cats and dogs. NZCAR has a wide variety of animals registered, including goats, guinea pigs and birds.

Pet owners are being encouraged to check that their animal’s microchip is registered with NZCAR, confirm their phone number and address details are correct, and update any outdated information.

NZCAR is New Zealand’s largest companion animal microchip database, holding more than 1.5 million animal records. The organisation works with vets, shelters and the SPCA to help reconnect lost pets with their families.

Its LostPet platform has also recorded significant activity this year, with more than 9400 animals reported missing since January 1 and nearly 6000 found animals listed in the hope of locating their owners.

As part of Check the Chip Day, NZCAR is also highlighting the importance of microchip registration for retired racing greyhounds transitioning into companion homes.

Working alongside the Greyhound Transition Agency, the organisation is ensuring adopted greyhounds are registered as they begin life beyond racing.

“Ensuring greyhounds have accurate microchip registration details is an important part of supporting their lifelong welfare,” Clements said.

She said keeping registration details current was a simple but vital step for all pet owners.

“Every registration helps strengthen the system that brings lost pets home, while also supporting wider work to improve companion animal welfare.”

For more information, visit the NZ Companion Animal Register website.