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Microchip and identification · Dogs and cats
Lost doesn't have to mean gone.
A microchip the size of a grain of rice links your pet to your contact information, for life. Placed in seconds during a regular visit, and required by the City of Montreal from 6 months of age. And if a pet is lost or found, here is exactly what to do.
What brings you here?
My pet is lost
The first steps, in the right order.
I found a pet
Get the chip scanned, free of charge.
Register or update a microchip
EIDAP or Marengo/Vetygo: check your contact details.
Get a microchip
Quick, no anesthesia, during a regular visit.
A client of ours? Your pet's microchip number is already in their file.
My pet is lost
Breathe. Many lost pets make it home, sometimes after weeks. Follow these steps in order: each one raises the odds of a reunion.
Call us
Your pet's microchip number is in their medical file: we give it to you, note the alert, and keep an eye out. Outside our hours, move to the next step and call us when we open.
Call us : 514 223-1197Report the loss to the chip's registry
The alert reaches the clinics and shelters that will scan the chip. EIDAP chip: report the loss from your account. Marengo/Vetygo chip: turn on lost mode in the Marengo app.
Report it to the SPCA and the City
Fill out the Montreal SPCA's lost-animal form and file a report with the City, or dial 311. Check the SPCA's found-animals page every day: photos of animals taken in are posted there.
Cover the neighbourhood
Posters with a recent photo and your number, neighbours, local online groups. An indoor cat often hides very close by: search at dusk, quietly, with their treats. A frightened dog may run even from people they love: don't chase, crouch down and let them come to you.
Found a pet?
Don't assume they are a stray: their family may live a street away, and someone may already be searching. A few simple steps often get them home.
Approach with care
A lost animal can be scared or hurt. Speak softly and avoid sudden movements. If they seem injured or in distress, call us right away or see our emergency page. Emergency page
Get the microchip scanned, free of charge
Come by during our opening hours (a quick call before you arrive helps us receive you faster), or visit any veterinary clinic or the SPCA. Scanning takes seconds and costs nothing.
Call us : 514 223-1197Already have a chip number?
Enter it in the lookup tools: the registry that recognizes it holds the family's contact information.
No chip, no clues?
Report the found animal to the Montreal SPCA and the City, or dial 311. A reported animal is one their family can trace.
The step that counts
Register or update a microchip
The chip is the licence plate; the registry is the SAAQ file. The plate never changes, but if the file shows an old address or a dead phone number, it leads nowhere. Updating takes five minutes.
EIDAP registry
Most chips we have placed over the years
Marengo / Vetygo
Chips we have placed more recently
Which registry is your pet's? The document you received at implantation says so, and so does their file with us: call, we check in seconds. You can also enter the number in both lookup tools: the registry that recognizes it is the right one. 514 223-1197
Check your details in the registry:
- After an adoption (the file may still name the previous owner or the shelter)
- After a move
- After a new phone number or email
- After a transfer of ownership
- Once a year, for example at the annual exam
The July 1st reflex
In Montreal everyone moves on the same day, and microchip registries stay behind at the old address. In the whirlwind of boxes this update is easily forgotten: add it to your list, right after Hydro and Canada Post. Five minutes, and your pet truly moves with you.
The service
Microchipping at our clinic
Tags can fall off and collars can break: the microchip stays. It isn't a GPS, it's simpler and more durable: a unique number, readable by any clinic or shelter, that points to your contact information.
We check
A pass of the scanner first confirms whether your pet already has a chip. Adopted pets often do: in that case we help you update the file instead.
We place the chip
Under the skin, between the shoulder blades, with a sterile applicator. It takes seconds, feels like a vaccine, and needs no anesthesia. If a surgery is already planned, we can also place it under that anesthesia.
We test it and record it
We scan the chip again to confirm it reads, then record the number in your pet's medical file. It stays there for good: your safety net if the paperwork is ever lost.
We guide you through registration
Before you leave, we tell you exactly where and how to register your contact information for the chip that was placed. A chip registered nowhere is a silent chip: this is the step that counts.
When should it be done?
During a vaccine visit, an annual exam or any regular appointment. Many families combine it with spaying or neutering: using the anesthesia already planned makes the placement completely imperceptible.
City bylaw
What Montreal requires
Since 2020, cats and dogs over 6 months old must be microchipped and sterilized within the City of Montreal. Proof of microchipping is requested when you apply for the annual licence (the tag). If the procedure is contraindicated for your pet, a veterinary attestation is required: we can assess that with you.
Frequently asked questions
The microchip in 7 questions
Does the placement hurt?
It is comparable to a vaccine injection, with a slightly larger needle. Most animals barely react, and no anesthesia is needed. If your pet is sensitive, we can place it during an anesthesia that is already planned, such as a spay or neuter.
Can a microchip track my pet like a GPS?
No. The chip transmits nothing and has no battery: it is a unique number, read by a scanner a few centimetres away. When a clinic or shelter reads that number, the registry makes it possible to reach you. The registry, not the chip, makes the connection.
Does the chip contain my personal information?
No, only a number. Your contact details stay in the registry (EIDAP or Marengo/Vetygo), protected and used for reunification. That is also why keeping the registry up to date matters so much: the chip itself never updates.
My pet already wears a tag. Is the chip useful?
They complement each other. A tag lets a neighbour call you within minutes; the chip is permanent and works even if the collar is lost. In Montreal, the microchip is required from 6 months of age anyway, and so is the annual licence.
How long does a microchip last?
The animal's whole life. There is no battery and no maintenance. When in doubt, we check that it reads in a few seconds during a visit.
How do I know if my pet already has a chip?
We pass the scanner during any visit, at no charge. If a chip is detected, we help you confirm it is registered in your name, with your current contact details.
I am moving or changing my phone number: what do I do?
Update your file with the chip's registry: your EIDAP account online, or the Marengo app. Five minutes is all it takes. If you are unsure which registry your pet is in, call us.
A few seconds today. Identification for life.
At a vaccine visit, an exam or a spay/neuter, let's talk microchip: placement is quick, and we guide you through registration before you even leave.