Technology has so many advantages in so many aspects of life. It can be life-saving, convenient, and comforting. Without technology, there’s no telling what life would be like for the millions of us who depend on it every single day.
Technology is not without risk, though. On Monday, February 10th, a Connecticut news station shared a warning that pet parents should check their microchips after a Texas-based chip company “went dark.” There are a few things this video shares that are super important:
@wfsbnewsAn important warning for pet owners, you’ll want to check your pet’s microchip information. A Texas-based company called “Save this Life” has suddenly gone dark. #dogsoftiktok #catsoftiktok #microchip #connecticut #birdflu #wfsb #animalsoftiktok #warning
Without @wfsbnews saying something about this, lots of people would simply have no idea. Good on them for making it known!
According to WFSB, the Texas-based microchip company called Save This Hospital has gone completely dark with no warning. Unfortunately, it rendered their microchips unreadable. It’s not just a malfunction, either: Save This Life seems to have gone completely out of business. The website is still up, but the phone number for the company no longer works.
Reports of chips registered with this company experiencing difficulties are coming from all over: North Carolina, Illinois, Connecticut, and more have all had pets impacted by the sudden closure.
What to do if your pet has an impacted microchip
The first thing you should do is confirm whether your microchip is registered through Save This Life. If they are, don’t panic: the chip itself is perfectly fine and doesn’t need to be replaced. The chip just needs to be re-registered with a different company.
These are the steps you should take:
- Find out whether your pet’s chip was impacted. If you can’t find it in your records, your vet will know.
- Ask the vet to scan the chip to see if their information has been erased.
- Pick a new company to register the chip with (and ask if your vet has a preference).
- Once your chip is updated, set a reminder for every three months so you can check to make sure the information is still accurate.
At this time, Save This Life has not made any official statements about their sudden shutdown or whether they intend to compensate customers for the trouble the deactivation has caused. If your chipped pet is missing, you should keep checking in with local shelters around you. Microchips and proactive parents can make all the difference between a speedy reunion and years of morning!
