Searching for a Community-Focused Microchip Provider

Over the past 6 years, RescueGroups.org has surveyed our users concerning their experiences with microchips and their microchip suppliers.

Initially, the community seemed happy with their vendors and suppliers.  Comparing the survey results of the most well-known rescue/shelter microchip and animal management program, 93% of the survey respondents had a positive experience with that vendor in 2007.

However, in our survey earlier this year, only 26% of respondents were having a positive experience, and many were very unhappy.

The Problem

The issues experienced by our users have included:

  1. No “fail-back” registration to the rescue/shelter (in case the adopter doesn’t register the chip)
  2. Requirement to sell poorly rated services (ex., the vendor’s pet health insurance)
  3. Solicitation of other services (ex., pet health insurance) without an opt-out
  4. Selling of the registration database to 3rd parties without an opt-out
  5. Low post-adoption registration rates by the adopter
  6. Yearly microchip “maintenance” fees and the solicitation of those fees
  7. Threats regarding not paying the fees (“your pet won’t be reunited with you if you don’t pay the fee”)

Interestingly, almost all of the issues are related to the microchip vendor’s profit making strategies.  We believe that making a profit is not in-and-of-itself bad, however the issue is how you make that profit, and how you return the favor to the community.

Not surprisingly, almost all respondents to our most recent survey are looking for an alternative to their current microchip vendor and software.

The Solution

We believe that RescueGroups.org is capable of providing alternatives for the animal rescue and shelter community.

RescueGroups.org is interested in partnering with microchip vendors and suppliers, as well as microchip registries.  Our partnerships will be non-exclusive, and we will not receive any fees or commissions from these partnerships (we don't do financial sponsorships or "seal of approval" gimmicks).  We plan to integrate with multiple companies to provide the best options to the community.

The goal is to provide a community-focused solution to microchip management; specifically, a solution to microchip registration that helps you work more effectively.

However, we’re not looking to partner with just anyone.  They will need to meet some significant requirements, including:

  1. Pre-register all chips to the rescue/shelter from the factory
  2. No maintenance or registration fees beyond the initial cost of the microchip paid by the rescue/shelter
  3. Provide an opt-out for any solicitation
  4. Provide an opt-out if they sell the chip registration database
  5. Promote the ISO standard chip – preferably sell the ISO chip exclusively

We believe that the partnerships we build using these standards will be aligned with Our Strategy.  They will be focused on the rescue/shelter, they will be professional and ethical, and they will help the community to work more effectively.

If you’d like more information about partnering with us, or if you have any questions about the microchip vendor requirements or Our Strategy, please contact us.

We'd love to hear from you! Contact us via Support, or post a reply below!

Posted in Random Thoughts and Ideas

45 Responses to "Searching for a Community-Focused Microchip Provider"