Microchips used for pet identification are about the size of a grain of rice. In a procedure similar to a vaccination, the microchip is injected just under the skin between the shoulder blades and lasts for life. Each microchip contains a unique number. Pet owners must register their contact information with the company that manufactured their pet’s microchip or with a free online database such as 24PetWatch. Please note that registering your contact information to your pet’s microchip is completely free – any fees that a vendor may charge are for additional services above and beyond registering your contact information to the chip (and are therefore not required).