By Brenna Fender Your dog is microchipped and you feel confident that, if he or she was ever lost, that microchip would help get your dog returned to you. But sometimes it isn’t that easy. Did you know that there are things you can do to help increase the odds that your dog’s microchip will aid in his or her return to you? Register Register your chip with your name and information. It seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes people forget this important step, especially if they own a dog that was chipped by a previous or rescue organization. Update your information when you move or change phone numbers. Re-Register! You can register your chip with more than one organization. This is a particularly good idea if you have a chip from a company that does not participate in the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup site (www.petmicrochiplookup.org), like AVID. You can register any brand of chip with AKC Reunite (www.akcreunite.org/). Despite the fact that this is an American Kennel Club related registry, it is not limited to purebred dogs. You can register dogs, cats, and other pets with AKC Reunite. Check Your Chip Any time your dog goes to the vet, have your veterinarian do a scan to make sure that your dog’s chip reads correctly and is in the proper location. Microchips can migrate in a dog’s body, ending up in spots that may not be located by someone doing a quick scan. Your vet can help you determine what to do if this happens to your dog. Then Check your Data After you make sure your dog’s chip is in place, write down the number and enter it into the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup site to make sure all your information is properly listed. Microchips are a great way to permanently identify your pet. Do your part in making sure that your chip is doing its job!