Could your pet find their way home? Check the Chip Day this Saturday.

Saturday 15 August is Check the Chip Day, when pet owners across New Zealand are encouraged to check their pets’ microchip details are up to date and ensure they can be reunited if they ever go missing – a message that takes on added significance as a new chapter begins for greyhounds as pets in New Zealand. 

Thousands of lost pets are reunited with their families each year thanks to microchips - but a microchip alone is not enough. As National Check the Chip Day approaches on 15 August, the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR) is urging pet owners to take a few minutes to check their pet’s microchip is registered and that their contact details are up to date. 

“A lot of people think a microchip stores their contact details or works like a GPS tracker, but that’s not true,” says NZCAR Manager Sarah Clements. “A microchip simply holds a unique identification number. It’s only when that number is linked to their family’s information in a registration database that it can help reunite a lost pet with their guardian.” 

NZCAR says common misconceptions about microchipping continue to create barriers when pets go missing, including confusion between microchipping, registration and council requirements. 

“Having your pet microchipped is an important first step, but keeping those details updated is what gives your pet the best chance of getting home if they are lost. This applies to species beyond cats and dogs too – we have goats, guinea pigs, birds and many more animals big and small registered with us.” 

Pet owners are encouraged to: 

✅ Check their pet’s microchip is registered on the NZ Companion Animal Register 
✅ Log in to confirm their phone number, address and other details are correct 
✅ Update their information if anything has changed 

The NZ Companion Animal Register is New Zealand’s largest companion animal microchip database, with 1.5 million animal records, helping connect lost pets with their families through a network of Approved Users including vets, shelters and SPCA. 

NZCAR also operates LostPet, New Zealand's leading lost and found pet platform, endorsed by the SPCA and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to help reunite lost pets with their families as quickly as possible. Since 1 January, there have been more than 9400 animals listed as lost by their families, and nearly 6000 animals who’ve been found and listed in the hope of tracking down their owner. As part of a national charity, NZCAR reinvests registration fees into animal welfare initiatives that support better outcomes for companion animals across New Zealand. A lifetime registration costs just $15 per animal, helping provide a permanent connection between pets and their families. 

“Every registration helps strengthen the system that brings lost pets home, while also supporting wider work to improve companion animal welfare,” says Sarah. 

Supporting greyhounds into their next chapter 

NZCAR is also recognising the important role microchip registration plays as retired racing greyhounds transition into life as beloved companion animals. Through collaboration with the Greyhound Transition Agency, greyhounds moving into adoption homes will be registered with NZCAR as they begin this next chapter. 

“Ensuring greyhounds have accurate microchip registration details is an important part of supporting their lifelong welfare,” says Sarah. 

“We’re grateful to the Greyhound Transition Agency for recognising the importance of NZCAR registration and supporting the registration of these dogs as they transition into life as companion animals.” 

Keeping microchip information accurate is a simple but vital step that supports greyhounds - and all pets - throughout their lives. 

Website: www.animalregister.co.nz  

ENDS 

ABOUT CANZ   

Companion Animals New Zealand (CANZ) is an independent, science-based charity committed to ensuring all companion animals live a 'Good Life' with responsible guardians. We use education, advocacy and community programmes to achieve this. We also operate the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR), the country's largest microchip database with more than 1.5 million total registrations. Our Board comprises independent trustees from a range of animal welfare groups, including SPCA, New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA), Dogs NZ, Cat Fancy, the New Zealand Veterinary Nursing Association (NZVNA) and the New Zealand Institute of Animal Management (NZIAM).    

NZ Companion Animal Register: What the 2025 data tells us

Every year, the NZ Companion Animal Register (NZCAR) helps reunite hundreds, if not thousands, of animals with the people who love them. When we looked back at the data from 2025, some clear patterns emerged — and they tell an important story about why microchipping and registration matter. 

The numbers at a glance 

• 108,930 animals were registered on NZCAR in 2025, helping ensure pets could be identified if they went missing.  This brings the total animal records on the NZCAR to 1.5 million.

• More than 10,000 pets were reported lost during the year on LostPet (Of these, nearly 9,000 were marked as found or listing expired).

• Over 15,400 animals were reported as found by either SPCA, shelters or members of the public trying to identify their guardian or get them home safely. 

• The number of dogs reported lost increased by nearly 10% compared with the previous year, highlighting the ongoing importance of prevention and identification. 

What the data tells us: 

• Time matters. The longer a pet is missing, the more likely it is that a microchip and up-to-date registration will be what ultimately brings them home. 

• Registration makes a real difference. Animals that are not registered remain missing around 30% longer than those registered on NZCAR. 

• Some species are especially vulnerable. Excluding cats and dogs, fewer than 20% of other animals reported lost on LostPet are microchipped, making reunification much harder. 

• Cats tend to be missing for longer. Cats are more likely to roam and may be taken in by well-meaning people, or simply go unidentified — which is why microchipping and registration are so important for cats. 

• Based on our available records (from October 2023 onwards), December 2025 had the highest number of 'found’ pet listings to date (animals marked as ‘found’ by members of the public trying to identify their guardian or return them home).  Summer is definitely when there are more lost and found listings, and we are also seeing an uptake in people using the platform.

“ “Every day, Approved Users reunite pets with their families all across the country - often without our team ever knowing, which is a sign the system is working. ”

— Sarah Clements, NZCAR Manager

“NZCAR works thanks to the combined efforts of our Approved Users and our support office,” says Sarah Clements, NZCAR Manager. “Every day, Approved Users reunite pets with their families all across the country - often without our team ever knowing, which is a sign the system is working. At the same time, our support office supports people through some of their hardest moments, hearing the distress and worry that comes with a missing beloved animal.

“We’re incredibly grateful for both, and we always appreciate hearing your success stories. Do reach out if you've had success being reunited with your animal as a result of their NZCAR registration as it is a great way to give people in similar situations some well-needed hope!”

The takeaway 

These insights reinforce a simple but powerful message: microchipping and keeping registration details up to date gives lost animals the best chance of getting home — especially when time passes. 

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