The chip gives a number, not a name. The number leads to a registry, the registry or a shelter reaches the owner, and you may wait hours or longer.
What the scan does and does not tell you
A beep at the vet does not mean the owner is on the way. A chip stores a number, and that number has to be matched to a registry, and then to a person whose details may or may not be current. Here is the usual chain. The clinic or shelter reads the number. Someone looks it up to see which company holds it. That company, or the shelter, tries the owner. In a study of 53 shelters, owners were found for 74 percent of stray dogs with chips that had a reported result, so most chips work, but about a quarter did not. Write down the number and the time of the scan, and take a photo of the scanner screen if staff will let you.
Ask for a proper scan
If the first scan found nothing, that may not be the end of it. Alley Cat Allies says US chips run at 125, 128 or 134.2 kHz, that single-frequency scanners can miss chips, and that chips can move, so the whole body should be scanned. mChip, a pet registry, says to ask for a universal scanner and more than one pass. Most clinics and shelters scan at no charge, but call first. Scan even if the dog has a tag, because tags and chips are separate systems, and an owner may have updated one and not the other. If a tag and a chip give you two different numbers, use both.
Looking up the number
Enter the number in the AAHA lookup. It handles 9, 10 and 15 digit chips and shows which registry to call, but it gives no owner details, and it covers only participating companies. Alley Cat Allies has noted that AVID chips may not appear in it, so contact AVID directly if the number or the scanner points there. Then call the registry and say: I have a found dog with chip number, and read it out slowly. I am at this location, and my number is this. Ask what they will do and when. Registries differ in what they share, so do not expect a name and address. The vet or shelter may get further than you, as staff make these calls every day.
When the record is empty or stale
This is the common failure. In the same 2009 study, of the 1,943 animals for which shelters contacted a registry, only 58 percent were registered. Among animals whose owners were never found, 35 percent had a wrong or disconnected phone number, 24 percent had owners who did not respond, and 17 percent were registered to another group. So if the registry says the chip is not on file, ask who the chip was sold to. Alley Cat Allies says the manufacturer may be able to name the clinic or shelter that bought it, and that place may be able to trace the owner. If the record names a rescue, call the rescue. A chip registered to a rescue is still a good lead.
Report it, even while you wait
File a found report with the local shelter or animal control the same day, whatever the registry says. The owner may be calling shelters, not checking a registry. Some places have a deadline. San Diego Humane Society says local law requires that the shelter of jurisdiction be notified within 24 hours. Ask your shelter how long a dog with ID is held if you bring it in, since ID often means a longer hold. Oakland, California holds a stray 10 days with ID and 4 business days without. Lee County, Florida holds 5 days with ID and 3 without. If you keep the dog meanwhile, ask what you must do, and get the name of the person you spoke with.
If someone calls you
You may get a call from the owner, a registry, a shelter or a stranger who saw your post. Ask the owner to describe the dog, including something you did not post. Ask for a photo of the dog at home. Do not post the chip number publicly, and do not hand the dog to someone just because they say they know it. If you can, arrange the handover at the vet or shelter, where staff can scan the dog again in front of you both. If the owner’s name on the chip does not match the person who calls, do not refuse outright, as there may be a simple reason, such as an unchanged record. Ask for vet papers or an adoption record, and let the shelter decide.
If nobody answers
Give the registry time to work, and keep your own log of each call: date, time, number and result. If you have no answer after a day or two, take your notes to the shelter and ask what happens next. A chip does not make the dog yours, and it does not give you the right to keep it, rehome it or give it away. Rules vary by place. This is general information, not legal advice. If you are worried about how the dog was treated, tell the shelter or animal control, and let them speak with the owner. If you cannot keep the dog, our post on found a dog but can’t keep it lists your options.
Sources
Lord et al., JAVMA, 2009: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19601734. Alley Cat Allies scanning guide: alleycat.org/resources/shelter-protocols-animal-intake-and-scanning-procedures. mChip: mchip.org/learn/what-to-do-if-a-found-pet-has-a-tag-or-collar. AAHA microchip lookup: aaha.org/petmicrochiplookup. San Diego Humane Society: sdhumane.org/services/lost-and-found/found-animals.html. Oakland Animal Services: oaklandca.gov/Community/Pets-Animals/Lost-and-Found. Lee County Animal Services: leefl.gov/animalservices/lostpet/foundpet.