Great question — it's one a lot of pet owners wonder about!
The short answer is: standard microchips do not track your pet's location. Here's what they actually do:
A microchip is a tiny passive device (about the size of a grain of rice) implanted under your pet's skin, usually between the shoulder blades. It doesn't have a battery, and it doesn't send any signals on its own. Instead, it stores a unique ID number that can only be read when a scanner is held close to it — typically at a vet's office or animal shelter.
When someone finds a stray pet and scans the chip, that ID number is looked up in a registry (like PRR's), which connects to your contact information so you can be reunited with your pet.
So what can you do to help find a lost pet?
- Make sure your microchip registration is up to date with your current phone number and address
- Use a collar with an ID tag as a visible backup
- If you want real-time location tracking, look into GPS pet collar tags — these are separate wearable devices that use cellular or Bluetooth signals to show your pet's location on your phone
If you have questions about updating Leo's microchip registration or your PRR account, our customer service team can help with that directly:
- 📧 help@petregistrationandrecovery.com
- 📞 [redacted]
They'll be able to pull up your account and make sure everything is current!
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