AKC Reunite: Fast Facts
- The American Kennel Club (AKC) established the AKC Reunite program as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) affiliate organization in 1995.
- AKC Reunite is dedicated to providing lifetime recovery services for all microchipped and tattooed animals 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year. AKC Reunite also enrolls those without permanent identification via a AKC Reunite collar tag program.
- AKC Reunite serves as a national database for microchipped pets, where a pet’s ID number and contact information (owner’s address and telephone number, alternate contacts, etc.) are safely stored and used to contact the owner when the pet is reported found.
- Over 5 million microchipped or tattooed pets are enrolled and over 460,000 pets have been returned home to date.
- In March 2007, AKC Reunite began offering the AKC Reunite ID System microchip in order to increase the number of pets recovered if lost. AKC Reunite also began offering a scanner that can detect all microchips distributed in the U.S.
- The microchip contains a unique ID code that permanently links an owner to their pet, if ever it is lost.
- Microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and are easily implanted by a licensed veterinarian or veterinary technician.
- Microchips are NOT tracking devices. Instead, each microchip contains a unique, encoded identification number. The only way to ‘read’ the number is to scan over the microchip with a reader, which shelters and veterinarians use regularly to scan pets for microchip ID.
- The one-time enrollment fee is $19.95 per pet if enrolled using the paper form or $17.50 if the enrollment is completed online. Each enrollment includes lifetime recovery services as well as a collar tag containing the pet’s ID number and AKC Reunite’s recovery hotline number.
- All animal species can be enrolled in AKC Reunite, regardless of age or size. The only requirement is that they have a unique ID — microchip, tattoo, or AKC Reunite collar tag.
- To ensure recovery, keep AKC Reunite updated with any contact information changes. Updates are free and can be made online at www.akcreunite.org or by phone, fax or e-mail.
- Many recovered pets are identified by their AKC Reunite collar tag, which displays AKC Reunite’s toll free hotline (800-252-7894) and the pet’s ID number. AKC Reunite’s replacement or upgrade collar tags are available at www.akcreunite.org .
- If an AKC-registered dog does not have a microchip, it can still be enrolled in AKC Reunite’s recovery service. An enrollment including a collar tag imprinted with the AKC logo, your dog’s registration number, and AKC Reunite’s hotline number can be ordered at www.akc.org/lostfound .
- AKC Reunite manages the Canine Support and Relief Fund to aid and provide resources for not-for-profit canine search and rescue teams, not-for-profit veterinary units providing support to canine rescue teams, and for animal victims of natural disasters. Donations can be made online at http://www.akcreunite.org/donate/ or via check or money order to AKC Reunite Canine Support and Relief Fund, American Kennel Club, Inc., 8051 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27617.
For more information please visit www.akcreunite.org