In March 2024, the previous Government said it would make scanning, checking & reuniting lost & abducted pets more effective by introducing a central portal for approved users-vets, local authorities & police-to search all records instantly, instead of contacting databases individually.

This has not happened. There are currently 23 government-compliant databases and cross-checking them is seen by many as an 'administrative burden. A central portal could reunite lost & abducted pets with families in minutes. The portal could make registrations easier to access, increase scanning & checking rates, and lead to more reunites. We believe this is a vital step to make pet microchipping work. We call on the government to deliver the central portal now to make chips count.