A non-profit members’ organisation, The Association of Microchip Database Operators (AMDO), has set out to be the voice of a proactive microchip registration industry.
AMDO says it will play a lead role in raising standards to improve the effectiveness of microchip registration services and pet reunification, actively working on issues facing the sector and developing best practice where appropriate.
The founder members of AMDO are Animal Tracker, Chipworks, Identibase, MyPet, Petlog and PETtrac, with membership pending for three other existing databases.
Simon Clark from PETtrac explained: “Defra has been asking microchip databases to form a collaborative group for a while, to provide a collective, representative response on issues affecting the microchipping industry.
“The founder members represent some of the largest and long-established UK databases and AMDO presents a real opportunity to improve the effectiveness of pet reunification.
“It also acts as a reminder, giving confidence to pet owners and those involved in reunification of pets, that databases do communicate and interact with each other – something we’ve done for many years, but now in a more formalised and public way, and hopefully with the involvement of more databases.”
With the Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA) estimating a record 35 million UK pets in 2022, with 25 million of those dogs and cats alone, database operators’ actions have a significant impact on vet practices, rescue/rehoming organisations, local authorities and law enforcement as well as on pet owners themselves.
According to the gov.uk’s Get your dog microchipped page there are 21 existing compliant databases and there are a couple more in the pipeline, so it’s even more important to have an association that will agree common standards and represent the sector.
AMDO intends to be the main resource for members, industry stakeholders, pet professionals and pet owners in raising awareness of existing tools, processes and legislation, developing new solutions to improve services and pet reunification, and setting standards to achieve a balanced regulated environment.
It’s often said how difficult it is for searchers to find microchip information, but according to AMDO the requirements in the current legislation mean that no-one should be more than one click or phone call away from finding out where a microchip is registered and can then log in to the relevant database or contact them to get the information they need.
AMDO is already working on solutions to make that process even easier.
In addition to inviting all compliant UK microchip databases to join the association, AMDO is keen to work in partnership with relevant animal welfare stakeholders.
Associate members will include veterinary and animal welfare industry bodies, trade associations, campaign groups and other persons or organisations that have a legitimate interest in the microchipping sector.
