If the contact details on a pet's microchip are out of date, nobody can find you when they get lost

This item looks minor on the checklist and costs nothing, but it belongs to the same family as emergency contacts: no effect at all day to day, and it decides the outcome at the one moment it's needed.

The chip doesn't expire; the data does

Many people assume that implanting a chip means "registered." In fact the chip holds only a number. What actually helps is the contact information attached to that number in the registry.

If you move after the wedding, change your phone number, or change your name, and the registration info is still old, whoever finds your dog will take them to a vet, scan the chip, and the phone number that comes up won't work.

That dog goes to a shelter.

Three places to update

1. The microchip registryThe most important one: make sure to check which company your microchip is with (HomeAgain, 24PetWatch, AKC Reunite, etc.), then log in to update your address and phone number.
2. City or county animal servicesMost cities require a pet license, so remember to update it after you move.
3. The vetPlus the contact info and authorized people on their medical records.

If you don't know which registry it's in

Take the animal to any vet or shelter to be scanned, which gives you the number. Then use AAHA's Universal Pet Microchip Lookup to find which registry that number belongs to.

This is worth doing once regardless, because for many adopted pets, the previous owner's details are actually still sitting in the system.

What to handle after the wedding

• Add your spouse as a second contactThis is just like having a secondary emergency contact (see item 64 on the checklist), because you might be unreachable right when it matters most.
• Authorization at the vetThis allows your spouse to bring your pet in and consent to treatment in an emergency. Many vet clinics require the owner's authorization for expensive or urgent procedures.
• Pet insurance contact details and payment method

If your spouse brought a pet with them

For an animal relocated across borders, check two things: the chip standard (the US commonly uses 125kHz, while Europe and Taiwan mostly use ISO 15-digit 134.2kHz) and whether American scanners can read it.

If the chip specs are incompatible, an unreadable chip is no chip at all when your pet gets lost. In that case, consider implanting a second one in the US, or at least confirm your local vets have universal scanners.

A practical note about moving

Pets are most likely to get lost right after moving to a new environment since they don't know the area and can't find their way home. That makes accurate chip details especially critical during a post-wedding move.

In one line

The chip number never changes but the registration goes stale; spend ten minutes updating it after a move, and add your spouse as a second contact.

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