# Changing microchip details after owner died?



## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

OK.. so my neighbour (who liked the Blue Roan Spaniel) has been given a small dog by a friend of hers. Her friend got it via a neighbour that died, the police had found them dead, the friend (of my neighbour) had taken in the dog to save her going into a rescue thinking the womans family would come and collect the dog when they came to sort out her house and belongings and they never did so she's had the dog 6 months. 

She doesn't want to put it in rescue but didn't particuarly want a dog, so given it my neighbour. The microchip still has the previous owners details on and the microchip company says the previous owner needs to contact them to change it despite been told the previous owner can't as she has been DEAD 6 months!! (not sure what part of 'DEAD' they don't understand!) :mad2:

so my neighbour wants to know where she can have the old chip taken out and a new one put in with her details as the woman's family never came back for the dog after its original owner died? .. .and she would like to give it an home. .. She's worried that if it ever got lost on an hike it may get returned to previous owners address and if they discovered person was dead put in dog wardens kennels & put to sleep if no-one came to claim it not knowing it had a new owner? (but microchip company wouldn't change details) 

Who do you contact for something like this? 

Thanks

Kati


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

Give a vet a ring sure they'll sort it.


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

zedder said:


> Give a vet a ring sure they'll sort it.


The microchip companies will accept it if a vet contacts them to say a new person owns the dog?


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## Pointermum (Jul 2, 2010)

There must be some sort of procedure , like the family member in charge of the will can sign the dog over surely  Or if the dogs been abandoned , it must happen all the time .


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

IncaThePup said:


> The microchip companies will accept it if a vet contacts them to say a new person owns the dog?


 They will be able to do something I'd of thought.


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

IncaThePup said:


> The microchip companies will accept it if a vet contacts them to say a new person owns the dog?


I am sure i have been told a story similar, but the previous owner had not died so it took a phone call to the previous owner via the vet. I am not sure if any monies changed hand due to the change, but with the amount of dogs that change hands readily. Vets always have the policy to scan the animal regardless of age before inserting a microchip so it must be more common than you think.

So as previous poster states ring the vet to help. It may be easier if its the same vets practice as the one the dog was registered to since they may know the original owner is deceased. Although i am sure they would happily liase with any practice to get the microchip issue resolved.

I would not consider removing the original chip, they often migrate and who knows how easy it is to remove them.


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

Pointermum said:


> There must be some sort of procedure , like the family member in charge of the will can sign the dog over surely  Or if the dogs been abandoned , it must happen all the time .


well the woman's family never went back to collect the dog and she's no name/contact details for them to ask.

I thought if dog wasn't claimed within 7 days you could keep it??. but saw story in newspapers today about a family that had bought a dog 2years ago and when it had run off and been scanned by a warden found it belonged to someone else who dog had been stolen from.. the dog has been returned to the original owner even though the new family has had him 2 years (not knowing he was stolen).

This dogs original owner though definitely died and the dog is not stolen or reported missing.


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

lullabydream said:


> I am sure i have been told a story similar, but the previous owner had not died so it took a phone call to the previous owner via the vet. I am not sure if any monies changed hand due to the change, but with the amount of dogs that change hands readily. Vets always have the policy to scan the animal regardless of age before inserting a microchip so it must be more common than you think.
> 
> So as previous poster states ring the vet to help. It may be easier if its the same vets practice as the one the dog was registered to since they may know the original owner is deceased. Although i am sure they would happily liase with any practice to get the microchip issue resolved.
> 
> I would not consider removing the original chip, they often migrate and who knows how easy it is to remove them.


I'll tell her they need to find out who the womans vet was and contact them. She was going to call in the Pets at Home and just ask them to put a new one in would that work or will they want proof the previous owner died? .. I doubt they'll have the original owners death certificate! .. it's a shame the ladies family never came back for the poor dog.


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

I found this quote whilst searching on Yahoo

"you can register the dog's chip with other databases that hold microchip information. There are plenty of them that accept other company's chips and will register them for you"

Could she register the dog with her name with these and which microchip companies would they be? Would she need to send a letter to explain? .. she handwrites letters as has no computer but I can type one up for her to send if knew who to send it to?


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

I am sure pets at home or any microchip person will scan a dog for microchip prior to putting one it. It should be protocol.

It might get the ball rolling with the dog being put in the new owners name though. As an unknown microchip must be a common occurrence, people do not often realise their dog that they got off someone has a microchip.


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

IncaThePup said:


> I found this quote whilst searching on Yahoo
> 
> "you can register the dog's chip with other databases that hold microchip information. There are plenty of them that accept other company's chips and will register them for you"
> 
> Could she register the dog with her name with these and which microchip companies would they be? Would she need to send a letter to explain? .. she handwrites letters as has no computer but I can type one up for her to send if knew who to send it to?


I think this more refers to if your vets only use petlog for example, and you have other dogs registered with another microchip company. You can transfer the details so all animals are registered with the one company.

I think they would have to check original documents though before transfer, if not it would open up the opportunity for dogs to be stolen and registered to new owners easily. Which in reality, is what microchipping animals is to prevent this.


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## Oenoke (Oct 17, 2009)

Write to the the company the microchip is registered with explaining the circumstances. They will usually write to the person the chip is registered with to make sure the information you give is true, but if they don't hear back should register the chip in your name.


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

Oenoke said:


> Write to the the company the microchip is registered with explaining the circumstances. They will usually write to the person the chip is registered with to make sure the information you give is true, but if they don't hear back should register the chip in your name.


They won't hear back from the person as she's been dead 6 months!.. that's my point.

I've looked online and for a charge you can change address and phone details so could put my neighbours on for her but keep the name the same.. then if dog ever did go missing at least they'd bring it back to her house or phone her and she can explain then? .. think its £10 to change address or phone number once or something... if she did that with original company it was registered with then also registered it with a different one in her name and kept details could that be used as proof of changing ownership?


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

An additional thought, some breeders have all puppies micro chipped in their names. However, have the actual owners as a second person on the form too. Maybe it would be possible to add the new owner to the details, if the microchip company are not listening with regards to the deceased owner.

When my mother was alive, I had her details as additional contact. It was a while ago, but I cannot remember exactly what it was called. I could do this freely because I have always upgraded my membership.


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

lullabydream said:


> An additional thought, some breeders have all puppies micro chipped in their names. However, have the actual owners as a second person on the form too. Maybe it would be possible to add the new owner to the details, if the microchip company are not listening with regards to the deceased owner.
> 
> When my mother was alive, I had her details as additional contact. It was a while ago, but I cannot remember exactly what it was called. I could do this freely because I have always upgraded my membership.


That maybe possible if can add her name then write in brackets after her name 'new owner'.

Without knowing who the chip belongs to that's in the dog I can't see an example of the online form. JJ is with Petlog I can't remember who Inca is with but she's hardly ever been scanned. JJ was scanned when I got him to check the chip worked as vet comes to me cos I can't get in their surgery and they know me they don't bring a scanner with them.

It's teaming down here so I probably won't see her today as I'm not going out in this!! .. unless she calls round to see what I found out for her!


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

Well I hope it all gets sorted soon, which ever way you go about it.

It might be helpful to post at a later date, when the matter is sorted to explain how you managed to sort it out. So if other people end up with a similar situation, they can see there is light at the end of the tunnel.


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