Can a Microchip Track Your Pet?
The short answer: No, a pet microchip cannot track your pet’s location like a GPS device.
Many pet owners have misconceptions about what microchips can and cannot do. While microchips are incredibly valuable for pet identification and reunion, they work very differently from tracking devices.
How Pet Microchips Actually Work
A pet microchip is a tiny electronic device (about the size of a grain of rice) that contains a unique identification number. Here’s what happens when your pet is microchipped:
The Technology: Microchips use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. They don’t have batteries, GPS capabilities, or the ability to transmit signals on their own.
How They’re Read: The chip only activates when a microchip scanner is passed over it. The scanner sends radio waves that power the chip momentarily, allowing it to transmit its unique ID number. Most Vets, local councils, Animal rescues and police will have a scanner.
What the ID Reveals: The ID number is then searched and links to a database containing your contact information. When someone finds your pet, they can take them to a vet, shelter etc to be scanned.
What Microchips Can Do
- Permanent identification that can’t fall off like a collar
- Quick reunification when your pet is found and taken to a facility with a scanner
- International travel identification for pets
- Lifetime identification (chips don’t expire, though contact information needs updates)
What Microchips Cannot Do
- Real-time tracking of your pet’s location
- Show movement patterns or routes taken
- Work like GPS to pinpoint exact locations
- Send alerts when your pet leaves a specific area
- Function without a scanner nearby