Remember to update!

....your pet's microchip contact details that is!

Today, the Man shut the side gate, but didn't latch it properly, and it blew open in the (light!) wind. So, our gorgeous dog took herself for a walk! I never heard the gate open (the Man had to go down the street for something to keep working on his car), or saw the dog leave because I was in the bathroom supervising ds in the bath. :o

When the Man got home, after maybe twenty minutes/half an hour, I heard him whistling for the dog. Oh no I started to think, because I knew. He went for a drive to search for her, I walked across the road because the neighbours over there were sitting on their front step, having a smoke. They hadn't seen pooch, but would bring her home if they saw her.

Whilst the Man was out searching, I called the council to ask if she had been picked up, and I realised that the contact details on pooch's microchip were INCORRECT! I gave the council lady my correct mobile number, and the Man happened to see the ranger while he was driving around. The ranger said he would bring pooch home if he picked her up.

Long story short, I *just* caught sight of her on the way home from picking dd up from school, almost a kilometre away from home.

There is about half a dozen or so microchip companies in Australia, and they don't all share details. So, I wasted time on the phone to one, having them tell me that "there is no animal listed with my name". And since I didn't have pooch's chip number, they couldn't tell me the right company to call. That also meant that if she was picked up and scanned for her chip, that no one would have been able to contact me, like the vet or something like that. At a time when I was trying to keep an eye out for my kids' pet, I was on the phone, trying to update my details. Not clever.

So, remember to update your address and contact numbers, and secondary contact (the secondary contact on pooch's chip is still my Mum, who live about five hours away. Also not clever). It's a good idea also I think to have the microchip company phone number in your phone, along with the actual chip number. Lastly, make sure your pet has tags on their collar. At the very least, one with your (current!) phone number on it.

Our naughty pooch is currently flaked out in front of the heater. Probably pooped from her expedition today.

Funny you should post this today - I just changed our address details with the Central Animal Records people this morning, thinking they were still listed at our second last address. As it happens, I must have remembered to change it when we moved to MiL's for 8 months. All done - two dogs and a horse, registered to where we are now, and I feel heaps better, particularly because we're not supposed to be living here and the council rego is for a council over a 100kms away ;)