ChipTrace was created by an animal rescuer in Spain to make one frustrating job much easier: finding where a pet’s microchip is registered.
My name is Syl Mulder. I work in animal rescue in Spain and help rescue, care for, trace and rehome lost, abandoned and vulnerable animals.
Microchips are one of the best tools we have for returning pets to their families. But finding the chip is often only the first step.
The real challenge is working out where the number is registered.
Why we built ChipTrace
Pet microchip systems are surprisingly complicated.
There is no single worldwide database.
Some countries use national or regional registers. Others have many private databases. Some systems are open to the public, while others can only be searched by vets or authorised organisations.
A pet may also be registered in a different country from the one where it is found.
For rescuers, shelters, vets and members of the public, this can mean:
- Searching many different websites
- Trying to understand an unfamiliar chip number
- Finding databases in another language
- Contacting manufacturers and distributors
- Working out which organisations may still hold a record
That takes time. When a frightened or injured animal is waiting, time matters.
We built ChipTrace to bring those steps together.
What ChipTrace does
Enter a pet’s microchip number and ChipTrace checks relevant registries and lookup services.
Depending on the number and available connections, it may:
- Find the registry that holds the record
- Identify a likely country
- Identify the chip manufacturer or distributor
- Show which databases were checked
- Show searches that could not be completed automatically
- Suggest the next organisation to contact
When no registration is found, ChipTrace does not simply stop.
It may still provide useful clues and practical next steps.
Built from rescue experience
ChipTrace was not created as a theoretical technology project.
It grew from real rescue work.
We know what it is like to scan an animal, find a chip and then discover that the number leads to an unfamiliar system in another country.
We also know how much time shelters and rescuers can lose checking one database after another.
ChipTrace is designed around what people actually need in that moment:
- A clear result
- Simple language
- No unnecessary questions
- No owner details displayed publicly
- A useful next step when the first search fails
Free to use
ChipTrace is free to use. It will always be free to use.
There are no user accounts, subscriptions or paid search results. We do not store or sell your personal data, and advertising will never influence the search results.
We just want to help reunite animals with their families as soon as possible.
Our aim is to make microchip tracing easier for:
- Animal shelters
- Rescue organisations
- Veterinary professionals
- Pet owners
- People who have found an animal
Information pages may contain appropriate advertising in the future. Advertising will not change the search results or decide which databases are checked.
More than a search tool
ChipTrace also provides clear guides about pet microchips.
These explain:
- How microchip registration works
- What microchip numbers can tell us
- Why a valid chip may not appear in a search
- How to update an owner’s contact details
- What to do after finding a microchipped pet
- How registration systems work in different countries
We use official and reliable sources wherever possible. Laws, registries and procedures can change, so our guides are reviewed and updated when needed.
Our approach
ChipTrace is built around a few simple principles:
- Keep it practical. People need useful answers, not technical jargon.
- Respect privacy. The service is designed to help identify the correct organisation, not expose an owner’s personal information.
- Be honest about limits. No service can search every database or guarantee a match.
- Show the work. Users should be able to see which databases were checked.
- Keep trying. A missing registration may still leave manufacturer, country or supply-chain clues.
Made for animals and the people helping them
Every microchip represents an animal that may have a family looking for them.
Sometimes the search is simple. Sometimes it becomes a trail through several countries, databases and organisations.
ChipTrace exists to make that trail shorter.
Contact ChipTrace
Have you found an incorrect link, a new registry or information that needs updating?
We would be grateful to hear from you.
Email: support@chiptrace.pet