Overview

• HomeSafeID, one of Australia's private pet microchip registries, may cease operations due to unpaid bills, rendering associated microchips untraceable.
• Hundreds of thousands of pets nationwide could be affected, with no clear way for owners to determine if their pets are impacted without checking their microchip registry.
• Australia has seven microchip registries, five privately owned and two state-run, but lacks national regulations to ensure data continuity if a registry fails.
• Pet owners are urged to verify their pet's microchip details through tools like Pet Address and transfer data to alternative registries if linked to HomeSafeID.
• Experts warn that without reforms, similar failures could recur, potentially leading to lost pets being untraceable, rehomed, or euthanized.