Pet microchip leads to reunion for dog taken from Gatlinburg owner 8 years ago

A dog was reunited with its owner after an eight year separation because animal control officers were able to find the owner’s information from a pet microchip.

According to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, the reunion between a malamute named Oreo and its owner Ms. Dove was made possible by some good Samaritans, Animal Control officers and a pet microchip.

“Ms. Dove’s dog ‘Oreo’ was taken from Gatlinburg in 2011,” the Sheriff’s office said on its Facebook page. “She never thought she would see her again. However, because she was a responsible owner and had ‘Oreo’ microchipped, when Officer Parrott scanned her all of Ms. Dove’s information was there.”

What is a Pet Microchip?

A pet microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and programmed with only an ID number. That ID number is stored in a database with the owner information when the microchip is registered. The owner information is not on the microchip itself.

How does it work?

Most animal control agencies, veterinarians and animal shelters have a handheld microchip reader that when passed over the implanted microchip, will read the ID number. The user then contacts the microchip registry for the pet owner’s information registered to that ID number.

Register your Pet Microchip!

Each pet microchip manufacturer maintains their own database. It is important to keep your information in that database up to date, even if your pet has been missing for a long time, so be sure to contact the microchip manufacturer to update your information if you move or change your phone number.

Important! When adopting a pet from a shelter, the pet may come with a microchip already implanted by the shelter. Usually, the adopter must register that microchip and the pet adoption paperwork will have registration instructions. It is not uncommon for lost pets to come into a shelter with a microchip that is unregistered, hindering the shelter’s ability to reunite that pet with its owner.

As a secondary microchip registration or if you want to avoid fees charged by some microchip registries, use the Free Pet Chip Registry or Michelson Found Animals Registry where you can register a microchip made by any manufacturer for free. They are free to register, free to use, and free to update owner information.

Verify your contact information

If you have the paperwork that came with the pet microchip when implanted, it will have the registry listed. Verify your contact information in the registry is up to date. Common registries include:

• Free Pet Chip Registry
• Michelson Found Animals Registry
• Avid
• HomeAgain
• Petlink
• AKC Reunite
• 24PetWatch
• MARRS Microchip Animal Rapid Recover Services
• Homeward Bound Pet
• PetKey

If you cannot find your pet microchip information, ask your vet to scan your pet and get the ID number. You can input the microchip number into this Universal Pet Microchip Lookup tool to determine which manufacturer’s registry should have the owner’s information. Then ensure your information is correct in that manufacturer’s registry.

Again, it cannot hurt to also register your microchip in the Free Pet Chip Registry or Michelson Found Animals Registry.

Where to get a Pet Microchip in Sevier County

A pet microchip must be inserted under the care of a veterinarian. Ask your veterinarian for information. These low cost pet clinics in Sevier County also offer pet microchip services:

VIP Pet Care Clinics held certain days at Tractor Supply and PetSense in Sevierville currently have pet microchip pricing listed as $19 with free lifetime registration

Photos: Knox County Sheriff’s Office / Facebook