When a friend gives you a dog, treat the microchip, the certificate and the handover evidence as three separate things. A chip helps identify the animal, a certificate describes whatever that issuer recorded, and ownership or local dog registration may require additional paperwork.
Start with the chip number, not the story
Ask a veterinarian, shelter or animal-control office to scan the dog and write down the full number. The AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup FAQ says a microchip stores only an identification number, and the lookup tool identifies the registry to contact rather than showing private owner information. AAHA primarily covers chips distributed in the United States; elsewhere, ask the scanning clinic which local registry to contact. The AVMA microchipping FAQ also notes that a chip is not a GPS tracker.
If the scan number differs from the paper, pause the transfer until the clinic, registry or previous keeper explains the mismatch. If the chip is unregistered, register it; if it is registered to the previous keeper, follow the registry’s transfer process rather than relying on a screenshot.
Read the certificate by issuer
- A vaccination certificate may list vaccine labels, dates, clinic details and sometimes a microchip number, but not every certificate has all vaccine fields.
- A pedigree or kennel document may describe breed and lineage, but it is not automatically a local licence.
- An adoption or purchase record helps show the handover chain, but it should still match the dog and chip.
- Local dog registration, rabies tag or travel paperwork may be separate from all of the above.
Practical handover file
Keep a written transfer note, the previous keeper’s contact details, scan result, registry update confirmation, vaccine/rabies records, photos of the dog, and any local registration receipt. That file is more useful than arguing that “the dog has a chip.” If the friend cannot explain where the dog came from, or refuses a scan, get help from a veterinarian, shelter or local authority before you accept the animal.