Microchip data for tens of thousands of Australian pets at risk as company goes dark

A microchip and registry company used by vets and animal shelters has not been contactable since December. 
(ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)

By Georgie Burgess

The microchip data of tens of thousands of pets across Australia is in doubt, with a major registration provider stopping operations and a warning animals could become untraceable.

HomeSafeID, a microchip and registry company used by vets and animal shelters since 2009, has not been contactable since December.

A warning on the home page of its website states that the company is "no longer communicating or paying for the hosting of this site, and so this site is likely to go offline in the future".

"You may want to investigate alternatives to your pet's registration, as once this site goes offline the registration data will no longer be available online or searchable via [microchip search engine] PetAddress," it reads.

Canberra-based vet Dr Michael Hayward, who is a spokesperson for the Australian Veterinary Association, said tens of thousands of animals would be affected if the website went offline.

"In that event, veterinarians, animal shelters, local pounds, local governments and all other interested parties will not be able to identify an animal based on its microchip number,"  Dr Hayward said.

In Victoria, legislation prevents pet data being moved from one database to another, and microchip registries must be licensed with that state's Agriculture Department.

The Victorian government has de-listed HomeSafeID as an approved animal registry, which means it is legal for a pet owner to transfer data to another approved registry.

The Victorian Agriculture Department website said pet owners would be contacted if they were registered with HomeSafeID.

Dr Hayward said the Victorian and Queensland governments kept data and may make it available to another provider.

"We don't know when that will occur. This issue has been brewing for months and the Victorian government hasn't announced what it will do with the data," he said.

"In the meantime, the logical course of action is that owners who wish to ensure their pet is recoverable in the event it goes missing should consider registering their pet and its microchip number with one of the other national private databases."

Shelter's letters returned to sender

Hobart cat shelter Ten Lives has used HomeSafeID since 2017, and has micro-chipped 9,000 cats during that time.

Ten Lives has been forced to change providers after losing contact with the company.

It is leading the way with informing cat owners about the issue.

Ten Lives president Paula Wriedt said the shelter had made inquiries to ASIC but had been unable to confirm the company's status.

"Letters sent to the director's address have been returned to sender,"  Ms Wreidt said.

"We are still investigating the matter, but we are not optimistic.

"This means our adoption clients may not have a current, searchable microchip registration sometime in the near future."

Paula Wreidt says Ten Lives cat shelter in Hobart is still investigating the matter, but isn't optimistic. 
(ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)

Ms Wriedt said Ten Lives had been speaking to other providers that were offering registry services for free, and was publishing details on its website.

Registries generally charge $12-$15 to transfer data.

Ms Wriedt said it was a reminder for all pet owners to make sure their pet's microchip details were up to date.

"This is a great opportunity for those clients who have had cats from Ten Lives for a number of years, and who may have moved house in that time, to change to a new provider, but also to update their address details," she said.

"Because when your cat gets lost, you want to be reunited with it as quickly as possible."

Dr Hayward said the issue highlighted the need for a central system.

"There is a national database that applies to livestock, but as is so often the case, issues relating to dogs and cats fall between the cracks and are legislated at a state government and local government level.

"There is no single responsible minister at a national level for these issues.

"It's left to the individual state and territories and sometimes individual local governments to manage these problems and that's a very unsatisfactory situation."

RSPCA advice for pet owners

RSPCA Australia said in most states and territories it was mandatory for cats and dogs to be microchipped.

A spokesperson said in Australia there were five private and two state government pet microchip registries.

"In some jurisdictions, like Victoria, your government authority may be in contact with you directly if your pet is registered with HomeSafe ID to assist you," the spokesperson said.

The RSPCA advises people to search PetAddress using your pet's microchip number.

"PetAddress searches the Australasian Animal Registry, Central Animal Records, and PetSafe and, if your pet's microchip is registered on one of these, it will redirect you to the database that lists your pet's microchip number so that you may contact them directly."

"If you cannot find your pet's registry by searching on PetAddress, you may like to contact your vet or microchip implanter to find out which database your pet is listed in.

"While currently these pet registrations are managed differently in some jurisdictions, the RSPCA advocates for the regulation and adoption of a nationally consistent protocol for the electronic identification of companion animals under state and territory legislation."

First published at ABC News, February 12, 2025