Frequently Asked Questions

PawsLedger is a universal microchip registry and pet recovery network. We provide finders with tools to scan and contact owners instantly, and pet parents with peace of mind through secure digital identity management, vaccination records, and NFC/QR tag support.

1) Register your pet with their microchip number. 2) If your pet gets lost and is scanned, the chip number is searched in PawsLedger. 3) The finder can nudge you through our secure relay — you receive an instant alert. 4) You coordinate a safe reunion without exposing your personal information.

Yes. PawsLedger integrates with the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup network, meaning your pet can be found through any participating registry or veterinary clinic.

PawsLedger offers a Free tier that includes public identity lookup, emergency medical alerts, and basic ownership features. Premium tiers (Verified and Guardian) offer additional features like vaccination storage, sealed PDFs, and AI photo-matching.

You can register up to 5 pets per account on PawsLedger.

Sign in with your Google account, then click "Register Pet" or the Protect button on the home page. Fill in your pet's name, species, breed, gender, birth date, and 15-digit microchip number. You can also add care information and link a physical NFC/QR tag during registration.

Yes! Simply microchipping your pet is not enough — you must register the microchip number and your contact details in a database like PawsLedger so your information can be found if you are separated from your pet.

Go to your Owner Profile (click your name in the header → My Profile) and click "Edit Profile" to update your name, email, phone, address, city, and country.

If your pet has multiple microchips, we recommend registering each one separately. If your pet is lost and found, it is possible that only one chip will be read, so keeping each one registered and updated is important.

PawsLedger supports ownership transfers. The new owner creates their own account and the transfer is recorded in the pet's audit trail for full provenance tracking.

Contact the clinic or facility that implanted the microchip — they can look it up in your pet's medical records. If you're unsure where your pet was chipped, any vet or shelter with a universal scanner can read it for you.

Physical tags (on collars, harnesses, or keychains) that contain a unique code. When scanned with a phone (NFC tap or QR camera scan), they instantly pull up your pet's emergency profile on PawsLedger — no app download required for the finder.

Go to your pet's profile page, scroll to the NFC/QR Tags section, and click "Add New Tag". Choose the tag type (QR, NFC, or Dual), enter the tag code (or let PawsLedger auto-generate one), and save.

The scanner is taken to your pet's public emergency profile (with privacy-obfuscated owner info). The scan is logged in the audit trail and you receive an email notification that your pet's tag was scanned, along with the general location.

Yes. From your pet's profile, you can deactivate any tag. Deactivated tags will no longer resolve to a profile when scanned. You can also reactivate them later if found.

Yes. PawsLedger encrypts your personal data and never exposes your name, address, phone, or email to finders. Communication happens through our secure relay system. Your information is only used for medical coordination and pet recovery.

No. PawsLedger maintains a strict non-solicitation policy. Your information will not be sold to third parties.

Finders see a privacy-obfuscated profile: the pet's species, breed, vaccination status, and general location area. They cannot see your name, address, phone, or email. They can send you a "nudge" through our secure system.

Every year thousands of lost pets are taken in by shelters and never make it home because they cannot be identified. Microchipping is the only truly permanent method of identification — collar tags can break or become illegible, but a microchip lasts your pet's lifetime. It's recommended by the AVMA, AAHA, ASPCA, and the Humane Society.

A microchip is a tiny transponder about the size of a grain of rice that uses radio frequency waves to transmit a unique ID number associated with your pet. It's implanted just under the skin, between the shoulder blades. The chip is passive — it has no battery or power supply. It is activated only when it comes in contact with a handheld scanner used by a trained animal professional. The scanner reads the radio frequency and displays your pet's unique 15-digit ID number, which is then searched in a registry like PawsLedger to find your contact information.

A veterinary professional implants the microchip using a sterile applicator — similar to administering a routine vaccination. The process takes only a few seconds, requires no anesthetic, and your pet will not react any more than they would to a standard shot.

Since there's no battery and no moving parts, there's nothing to wear out or replace. Microchips are designed to last your pet's entire lifetime.

No. A microchip cannot provide location data. It is only when your lost pet is found, scanned, and searched in an online registry that someone will be able to contact you. This is why keeping your contact information current in PawsLedger is critical.

No. A microchip is a backup to collar tags, not a replacement. Your pet should continue to wear collar tags. The most important information on your pet's collar tag is your telephone number. PawsLedger also supports NFC and QR physical tags for instant digital identification.

Yes. There are three pet identification microchip frequencies: 125 kHz, 128 kHz, and 134.2 kHz. The 134.2 kHz ISO standard is the primary frequency used worldwide and is recommended by the AVMA, AAHA, HSUS, and ASPCA. If your pet does not have an ISO 134.2 kHz microchip, you may need one for international travel.

ISO microchips always contain exactly 15 digits, start with the number 9, and cannot contain letters, spaces, or dashes (e.g. 985000123456789). Non-ISO microchips have 9-10 characters and may contain a mix of numbers and letters. PawsLedger validates the format when you register.