# HomeAgain Microchip



## lizalots (Aug 29, 2008)

I got an e-mail stating that Sierra's microchip expired and I had to renew the service.


What's up with that? Do all microchips need to be renewed annually? Is it just the Home Again service? 

I mean, if she were to get lost and someone else found her and brought her in to be scanned while it is expired, could they tell there is a chip in her? Or would it just come up negative? And IF they could tell there was a chip, but had no info, the company wouldn't help bring home the pet?!

WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?! 

Am I missing something here?

I think Spike has the same chip.. but they never said anything about it expiring. Hm...


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

I know nothing about that, and sorry to interrupt your thread here, but could _you_ give me some information on that? How much is it? (I know what it is...) But basically, "why should I have it done"? Donatello has a dog-tag already...


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## Melissa_Chloe (Dec 31, 2008)

Thats WEIRD!

I have no experience with that specific one ... but Chloes chip never expires ...
hummm, interesting that it would expire ... you would think that it wouldnt work that way especially as you said ... if he got lost during the "expired" period !


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

Elsa's HomeAgain-ed and I have not received the same e-mail. Perhaps the e-mail you received is phishing. You should call the company to verify.


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## lizalots (Aug 29, 2008)

I think that I'm being ripped off. I am going to call the company. The e-mail is from their actual website. It seems pretty legit. But maybe it's an extended service. This is strange.


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## MonicaBH (Jul 5, 2008)

With HomeAgain, there are different types of registration memberships, I believe. (They did not have this a billion years ago when I first started microchipping my pets.) 

For instance, at my vet, if you pay the chip fee, you get 1 year of their membership paid for. 

The microchips don't expire, but I think your paid membership has. That doesn't mean the chip is ineffective; it just means that you're not getting all the membership benefits.

You can go to the Home Again website to learn more about the membership stuff. Or call them and ask what exactly has expired.


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## craven.44 (Sep 10, 2008)

I am not sure about the annual fee, but I am pretty sure the chip would still show up on a scanner. It would not be connected to your info, though.

Deege39, my dog is microchipped because he can climb fences and open gates (we wire gates shut and he does not climb fences anymore, thankfully) and I was always afraid that his collar would fall off. It is a personal decision, though.


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## lizalots (Aug 29, 2008)

Thank you very much for the replies. I called the company and this is what they informed me:

As mentioned, yes, they do have different memberships. They will always be in the database, but her super duper membership expired. It did not say this in the e-mail. But the e-mail does mention "Plus much more" such as pet insurance up to 3000 while they are lost.

I will be calling back tomorrow to have my money refunded.

deege - I sent you a PM about it


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## MonicaBH (Jul 5, 2008)

What money will you have refunded? The year membership that you received?

I'm confused.


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## lizalots (Aug 29, 2008)

Sorry to be confusing.

I renewed my annual membership, but I don't want the extra stuff. I _thought_ it meant I needed to pay for just her name to be on the chip. That isn't the case. So I am going to be refunded for the extra money I just payed for the special membership.

Your name and information will be on the chip through them forever. That is free.

The annual membership, for $14.99/year includes this (and maybe more), but this is all the e-mail says:
HomeAgain Membership includes:

Proactive Pet Recovery
How microchipping works - If your lost pet is taken to an animal shelter or veterinary clinic, they will scan the microchip to read its unique code. This code will be used by HomeAgain to retrieve your contact information and reunite you with your pet.
HomeAgain helps you search - If your pet gets lost, HomeAgain sends out Lost Pet Alerts to veterinarians, shelters, and volunteer PetRescuers in the area where your pet was lost, and provides a "Lost Pet" poster that you can print and post in the neighborhood. 


Plus much more
Medical Insurance for Lost Pets* is included with your annual HomeAgain membership. Offered by PetFirst Healthcare, it covers up to $3,000 (less a $50 deductible) of medical treatment for injuries your dog or cat suffers while lost. Your pet’s annual Lost Pet Medical Insurance coverage expired with your HomeAgain membership, so please renew your pet’s HomeAgain membership today. Once your renewal is processed, you will receive instructions on how to activate your Lost Pet Medical Insurance.
24/7 Emergency Medical Information Hotline - in emergency situations, get telephone assistance provided by ASPCA licensed veterinarians (a $60 value).
Unlimited updates to your contact information and pet’s profile in the HomeAgain National Pet Recovery Database, and anytime access to trained Pet Recovery Counselors.


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## Melissa_Chloe (Dec 31, 2008)

Well that makes more sense lol.
Good that the info stays with the chip forever.


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## MonicaBH (Jul 5, 2008)

Oh, I gotcha. I didn't realize you'd already paid up for another year. 

Like I said, it's been a while since I got anything microchipped. I didn't have to worry about all that fancy schmancy stuff.


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## MyRescueCrew (May 8, 2008)

I didn't know it expired after 1 year (all the bonus stuff) either. All my guys are done with AVID, except one of them is done with HomeAgain. Glad to know, so I won't be so concerned when I get the same notice you did.


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## KaseyT (May 7, 2008)

I got a couple of robo-calls about my Home-Again membership expiring. I was pretty sure it would not disable the basic function of the chip which is to identify me as the owner of the dog and provide contact info, so I ignored them.


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## 4paws-up (Jan 6, 2009)

I found that out when I went to enroll her- I was kinda ticked at first now I dont know what I will do- having them help find the dog might be worth it vs me trying to get to every shelter around here. My other dog has a no frills chip!


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

Deege, all my dogs are chipped because I only put their collars on when we go for walks or to the pet store....when we are just out in the yard or in the house I don't put them on because they play rough and I have had one dog get tangled up in the others collar....wow that was a mess!!


so they are chipped in case they dart out the door...or get let out of the fence for any reason


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## Lolas_Dad (Apr 28, 2008)

deege39 said:


> I know nothing about that, and sorry to interrupt your thread here, but could _you_ give me some information on that? How much is it? (I know what it is...) But basically, "why should I have it done"? Donatello has a dog-tag already...



That's nice that Donatello has a dog tag already, so does Lola in addition to having her dog license tag. What if he was to get lost or worse yet stolen?.

Someone could take the tag off of him and keep the dog as their own. You would then lose all rights to the dog even if you found out who took or found him. What proof would you have proving that Donatello was yours unless he was microchipped.

If you fought to get him back you would have a hard time proving he is yours without a microchip. With a microchip all that would have to be done is of it came down to going to court is that the dog get scanned for the chip and the information from the chip is registed to you. You will then have Donatello back.

Years ago before microchips were available for dogs I was walking with a few friends along a dirt road. We found a stray golden retriever. The dog was following us and I threw a stick in a pond, The dog retrieved it and brought it back to us. I could have taken the dog tag off and kept the dog, have him relicensed in my name making me the new owner. If the original owner seen me with the dog he would have a hard time proving it was his dog.

I took the dog in my car, went to the police station got the owners info and called him. We met up and I returned his dog to him.


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## sw_df27 (Feb 22, 2008)

we use homeagain with our dogs and there is a yearly renewal fee that you have to pay it's like 14.99 or something!


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## tirluc (Aug 29, 2006)

the annual fee is for all that lizalots stated above....actually, IMO it's a good thing as you have an internet page that you go in and put in all your info on your pet/s and in the event that they should come up missing, that info immediately get sent to ALL participating persons (you can put your name on the list for them), all shelters and all vet clinics in like a 50 mile radius of you home......to me, that $15 a yr membership fee is well worth it....when i 1st heard about it i heard "$50" and was like, "no way", but think about it....you have your pets info online, you call them that your pet is missing, and while you're out looking, all that info is being sent out to many different places....save you alot of time sitting at home, don't it?.....


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## lizalots (Aug 29, 2008)

Those are really good points. I was considering keeping it just because I like the idea that they have some sort of insurance as well just in case they are found hurt or something... 

Decisions, decisions...


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## Smithcat (Aug 30, 2008)

The nice thing about tattoos....they dont expire, they dont need to be renewed, they cant be erased by being too close to an MRI or other magnetically generated field, and you dont need a special reader that wont read the other companies tattoos; anyone can read them. Some points to ponder.


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## tirluc (Aug 29, 2006)

Smithcat said:


> The nice thing about tattoos....they dont expire, they dont need to be renewed, they cant be erased by being too close to an MRI or other magnetically generated field, and you dont need a special reader that wont read the other companies tattoos; anyone can read them. Some points to ponder.


the bad thing about tattoos is...the dog falls in the wrong hands and the ear is lopped off, or the inner thigh is mangled to cut the tattoo out.....yup, does happen....

oh, and sometimes they do need to be "renewed".....i had 2 husky's that were tattoo'd at 1 yr and they both had to be redone at 2 from "fading"....the skin changes sometimes.....the redo job was free, however.....and they were done someone that had been doing them for yrs.....


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## Lolas_Dad (Apr 28, 2008)

I will take technology over a tattoo any day of the week. I do not have any tattoos myself so why should my dog?.


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