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FidoID – The Trusted Pet Microchip Registry

Your pet could be lost without us.

Trusted by vets and pet owners since 2004, we help lost pets find their way home.

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About FidoID

At FidoID, we’re dedicated to helping pet owners protect their companions through reliable microchip registration and support services. With microchipping now compulsory for cats in England since 2024, our mission is to make the process simple, secure, and accessible for every owner. From microchip lookups to transferring keepership and updating details, our services give you peace of mind knowing your pet can always be identified and reunited with you.

We’ve been supporting vets and pet owners since 2004, operating trusted pet microchip registries across the UK and Ireland. Our team of veterinary and technology experts ensure every registration meets the highest standards, whether for dogs, cats, or other pets. Backed by years of experience and thousands of happy reunions, FidoID is here to make sure your pet is never truly lost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about microchipping and FidoID?

We know your pet’s safety and wellbeing come first, and you may have lots of questions about how microchipping works, what it means for your pet, and how our service supports you if your pet ever goes missing. To make things simple, we’ve grouped the most common questions into categories below. Just click to expand and find the answers you need.

About Microchips

Learn the basics about what microchips are and how they work.

The microchip is a tiny computer chip which has an identification number programmed into it and is encapsulated within a biocompatible material.

The whole device is small enough to fit inside a hypodermic needle and can be simply injected under the skin of our pets, where it should stay for the life of the animal. This provides a permanent identification is a safe, simple and inexpensive way to protect your pet against loss or theft. While a microchip could be intentionally removed, it would require a veterinarian to remove it in a complicated surgical operation.

There is a very small chance that a microchip may fall out, that it may cause inflammatory reactions at the site of implantation, or that it fails to work. It is important to have your pet’s microchip scanned regularly to ensure that it is still in situ and functioning. If there is any issue with it, your vet will report it to the appropriate authorities as this is a legal requirement.

The computer memory in the Microchip contains a unique 15-digit number – no two animals will ever have the same number. (Apart from this number, the chip contains no other information, and it is certainly not a GPS tracker!) A radio signal transmitted from a scanner carries energy to enable the chip send back the number through the skin of your pet that the scanner then reads.

In addition to the number, the microchip generates a reliability check to guarantee that your pet’s identifying number is read accurately. This all takes place in less than 40 milliseconds. After the scan, the vet consults a database such as FidoID to find a matching number, and thereby obtain the owner’s contact details.

Once injected under the skin of your pet, the Microchip becomes encased by a thin layer of protein which anchors it in place for the rest of the life of your pet. It does not pass through or out of the body.

The microchip itself has no power supply to replace or moving parts to wear down. Therefore, it can be expected to last for decades – well beyond the lifespan of most pets.

There is a very small chance that a microchip may fall out, that it may cause inflammatory reactions at the site of implantation, or that it fails to work. It is important to have your pet’s microchip scanned regularly to ensure that it is still in situ and functioning. If there is any issue with it, your vet will report it to the appropriate authorities as this is a legal requirement.

For most animals (dogs and cats) the chip is implanted in the scruff of the neck (the loose skin between the animal’s shoulder blades).

In birds, the chip is implanted under a wing. Consult your veterinarian for advice regarding other pets.

No. It would require a veterinarian to remove the microchip in a complicated surgical operation. The chips are designed to bind and therefore are not easy to remove.

Microchipping Your Pet

Find out what microchipping means for your pet, including comfort, safety, and timing.

While animals of any age can be injected with a Microchip, all dogs over the age of eight weeks and all cats over the age of twenty weeks (England Only) must be microchipped and registered on a compliant database.

You should consult your local veterinary surgeon and ask his or her advice but many puppies and kittens are chipped during their initial vaccine series.

Birds, horses and exotics can be identified at any time.

It only takes one time for the postman, gardener, meter reader, neighbour or friend to leave the gate open or the door ajar.

Animals that have not been neutered in particular have a desire to roam. Pet theft is also a daily occurrence. Animals such as purebreds, birds and exotics are valuable and are often stolen for resale. Even horses are frequently stolen and sold for slaughter.

Most shelters destroy the majority of pets they impound. They are destroyed only because they are not identified.

Not at all. The injection creates only a slight discomfort – most pets don’t even react to it.

The microchip is encapsulated in a specially formulated biocompatible material created specifically for this kind of application.

No! Injecting a Microchip is just like any other injection or vaccination. Anaesthesia is not required or recommended since there is minimal discomfort with the procedure.

The Microchip is inert and biocompatible. There is a very small chance that a microchip may cause inflammatory reactions at the site of implantation. If there is any issue with it, please consult with your vet who will report it to the appropriate authorities as this is a legal requirement.

Costs and Legal Requirements

Get clear answers on pricing and the legal responsibilities of microchipping your pet.

The fee is set by your veterinarian.

The fee is certainly less than the cost of trying to locate a lost pet.

The cost of printing and hanging fliers, placing ads and rewards, calling shelters, and taking time off of work can be substantial.Not to mention the anguish and worry or worse… the heartbreak of being too late.

No. Registration is for the life of the microchipped animal and certain changes you require to be made will be done free of charge.

There is a simple change-of-keepership process that must be followed when necessary, and this is generally the only time that any significant interaction with FidoID is needed post-registration.

Lost and Found Process

Understand what happens if your pet ever goes missing, and how FidoID helps bring them home.

The stored information relating to your registered microchip number is maintained on a database and this information, which will include an address and contact phone numbers supplied by you, will be provided to pre-approved organisations in the event of them locating the microchip.

FidoID is actively building strong relationships with animal welfare organisations, local authorities and veterinary surgeons to ensure that it is a reliable reference point for the recovery of lost pets.

FidoID continues to develop key relationships with individuals and organisations in the animal welfare and recovery fields.

The stored information relating to your registered microchip number is maintained on a database in the UK and this information, which will include your address and contact phone numbers, will be provided to pre-approved organisations in the event of them locating your microchip.

FidoID maintains “third party contact” information. Your pet would be released to your authorised representative to ensure its well-being.

Your pet is protected even when you are not at home, no matter what the reason. Alternatively you can log on to fidoid.co.uk and register your holiday address or contact details for the duration of your holiday or designate a third party to be responsible for the animal when you are away.

Updating and Managing Records

Keep your details up to date so your pet can always be reunited with you quickly.

You can use the login information originally sent to you to log in and change certain details, such as your third-party contacts or holiday details.

Some information that is on the official certificate can only be changed with the help of your vet and/or FidoID staff and there may be a fee involved (unless this was an error caused by the vet or FidoID) and a new Certificate will be made available to download.

A limited subset of contact details for the current keeper can be edited online for a small fee.

  1. Log in using your keeper’s credentials (the microchip number and the corresponding 5-digit keeper’s PIN).
  2. From the main menu, make a note of the 8-digit Take PIN, knowledge of which will allow a third party to declare keepership of the registered pet.
  3. Log out.
  4. Give the microchip ID and the 8-digit Take PIN to the new keeper and instruct that person to log in with those details. Do NOT give your 5-digit keeper PIN to the new keeper.
  5. When the transfer is complete, your 5-digit PIN will be replaced.

Please note:
When the new keeper takes over, your previously recorded contact details will NOT be available to the new keeper. When the new keeper is logging in with the 8-digit PIN, they will be asked to provide new contact details and these will replace what you had registered.

New registrations with FidoID must be done through a vet who must be a participating FidoID Registrar/Implanter.

Implanting and registration of a dog microchip should take place at the same time in the same location.

If your dog already has an implanted chip, your vet will use a scanner to confirm the 15 digit chip ID and can complete the registration for you.

Veterinary professionals:
There is a link on the login page that will reveal a form for you to request login assistance by email.

Pet keepers who have received a Microchipping Certificate should use the details on the certificate to log in.

PIN recovery is available on the login page for registered pet keepers who may have deleted the original welcome email that was sent upon successful registration.

FidoID Services and Support

Learn more about FidoID, our services, and how we keep your information secure.

FidoID is a team of veterinary and technology professionals, collectively having several decades of experience.

We are all working hard to give lost pets the best chance possible. If you need to contact us please use the following email addresses.

For microchip registrations:
helpdesk@fidoID.co.uk

For general help including technical and services to vets:
info@fidoID.co.uk

Our site is available to pet owners 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with very rare and brief outages for maintenance.

Registered organisations will use this 24/7 telephone service for emergencies, such as when a rescue organisation recovers a lost animal in distress while in an area without Internet access, but the 24/7 support service is available to the general public as well.

FidoID is not a search and rescue service, nor can we locate lost pets that have not yet been scanned by the finders, so our support services are limited to matters pertaining to chip registrations.

If you wish to contact us by post, please use the following address:

FidoID,
The Chocolate Factory,
Keynsham,
Bristol,
BS31 2AU

Still have questions?

If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, our friendly team is here to help.
You can reach us anytime through our 24/7 support service or by contacting us directly on 0122526115 or emailing us at helpdesk@fidoid.co.uk

Contact FidoID