Belfast-based software company MyPet has recently become the only Defra compliant microchip database in Northern Ireland and allows pet owners to update this database with their pet’s details via a free smartphone app.
The app allows pet owners to register their animal’s microchip with MyPet and record or update all the animal's information, reminders and appointments.
It also has some additional features for the unfortunate event in which a pet goes missing.
These include leveraging social media outreach to help get the word out to as many people as possible, and alerting other MyPet users within five miles of where the pet owner is.
Additionally, if your pet is lost and then its microchip number is searched on any Defra compliant database by someone else who has possibly found it, MyPet will email you to let you know.
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The chip is also searchable on every other Defra compliant database, so if your pet went missing and was searched on the likes of Check a Chip or another compliant database, they will direct the person searching to MyPet.
Authorised users such as vets and animal charities can access your contact details to help get your pet home.
MyPet is currently releasing an online store focusing on local and environmentally friendly pet products, as well as building a free-to-use microchip platform for animal rescues.
Conor McManus, co-founder of MyPet said his inspiration for the business came from his own two dogs, Cody and Rollie.
“I found a few things very frustrating. One of the first was keeping all their information,” he told Sync NI.
“I lost their pet health cards temporarily, I literally couldn’t find them anywhere and needed them to check them into the pet hotel as we were off on holiday the next day. I eventually found them but that’s how our pet owner app was born!
“It stores all your pet’s information and you can store images of your pet health card etc. On our microchip database, I found the process of taking ownership of their microchips extremely difficult.
“The website was extremely confusing, and it cost £19.95 per dog. I saw very little added value for this amount of money! We also got a huge amount of feedback from animal rescues and vets, saying that they found the different platforms extremely difficult to navigate on.
“We've built a much cheaper and easier way of registering pet microchips and we're offering a lot more value to pet owners should their pet ever go missing at a much cheaper price.”
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The firm also supplies software for pet care businesses, which was first launched at the beginning of the global coronavirus pandemic.
All dogs in Northern Ireland must be microchipped at eight weeks old (by a professional such as a vet) and before an owner applies for a dog licence.
Dog owners are responsible for ensuring that the contact details held against their dog’s microchip number are accurate.
If the details are not accurate, the dog is not considered as microchipped and the dog licence will not be valid.
Find out more about MyPet via their website here.
