By In recent years, pet owners across the country have begun microchipping their animals in an effort to keep better track of their four-legged friends. Now, one of the biggest microchip companies, Save This Life, has gone completely off the grid, causing several of its users to become concerned about their pets’ safety. We have what you need to know about the closure, including what to do if you and your pet are affected below.
Why did Save This Life shut down?
The closure of Save This Life was first reported by KDKA, a Pittsburgh-based CBS News branch. They reported that the company’s phones were shut down and have been ever since they were taken off the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool on January 24, 2025.
After reviewing several of the state’s official documents, the news outlet reported that the Texas-based microchip company had ceased operations.
“The closure of this company is really concerning for us, and you know we want to make sure that everybody has a microchip in their pet and that it’s actively registered with the database,” Dan Cody, Executive Director of Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh told the news station. “We had a hard time reaching out to the company as well. So, it did become concerning to us. They were unresponsive or did not respond very well.”
Save This Life was reportedly founded in 2012, and as of its publication, its website, Instagram and Linkedin are still up and running despite the company shutting down.
How to check and update your pet’s microchip
If your pet was microchipped, there is no need to panic. Following the closure of Save This Life, the nonprofit organization Animal Rescuers Without Borders (ARWOB) took to Facebook to share how pet owners can keep their furry friends safe.
First, you should check your pet’s microchip number, which they say should be on “Your adoption contracts or medical record.” Or you can “call your vet clinic to check with them.”
You can also scan the chip “at a veterinarian’s office, animal shelter or by the Admins/Volunteers of this group.”
After doing that, you should identify the chip number. According to ARWOB, “If the microchip number starts with 991 or 900164, it’s likely from Save This Life.”
Finally, if it is from Save This Life the nonprofit says you should “Use the AAHA Universal Microchip Lookup Tool to see if your pet’s microchip is registered with any active database and then Re-Register the Microchip” to places like PetLink, HomeAgain, Found Animals, 24PetWatch and AKC Reunite.
Is microchipping your pet safe?
Microchipping your pet is completely safe, and according to Cody, it’s “an absolutely crucial tool for reuniting pets with their families when they get lost.”
“We get pets brought in all the time from animal care and control. Those really are just pets that are lost. And the first thing that we do when they come in is scan them for that microchip,” he continued to tell KDKA. ‘“That allows us to immediately give you a phone call. It keeps the worry away and allows you to get your pet back in the home where it’s loved.”
However, using technology to keep track of your pet comes with its issues—as shown by the Save This Life Outage. To help deal with that, ARWOB recommends that pet owners “Don’t rely solely on the microchip.”
“A microchip is only effective if your contact details are accurate and the registration is active,” they continued, before sharing that they recommend you “Equip your pet with a collar and ID tags displaying your contact information for added security.”
