Home Again microchip "Annual Fee"

sarahp · Oct 2, 2008

Just thought I'd make a new post about this since there has been some confusion.

When you get a Home Again microchip, you pay an initial fee. That puts your pet in their database, and gives you full coverage for 1 year. This full coverage includes 24/7 medical assistance to a hotline, they assist you if your pet goes missing (contact vets and shelters in your area), and I think there was something else.

After a year you have the option to renew that full coverage, or just stick with the basic free service which is keeping your pet in their database.

If I log in to my HomeAgain account, I have my 3 kitties as well as a bunch of kitties I fostered and adopted out recently whose owners haven't changed their information to their name. The recently chipped kitties have "Full" service next to their names, and the date the full service expires. My kitties have "Limited" service, and it gives me the option to upgrade to full service. I don't see the point, so I'm sticking with the basic service.

So please don't let the idea of an annual fee discourage you from microchipping your pet - you have the choice of whether to pay for their full coverage.

judi · Oct 4, 2008

Originally Posted by sarahp

Just thought I'd make a new post about this since there has been some confusion.

When you get a Home Again microchip, you pay an initial fee. That puts your pet in their database, and gives you full coverage for 1 year. This full coverage includes 24/7 medical assistance to a hotline, they assist you if your pet goes missing (contact vets and shelters in your area), and I think there was something else.

After a year you have the option to renew that full coverage, or just stick with the basic free service which is keeping your pet in their database.

If I log in to my HomeAgain account, I have my 3 kitties as well as a bunch of kitties I fostered and adopted out recently whose owners haven't changed their information to their name. The recently chipped kitties have "Full" service next to their names, and the date the full service expires. My kitties have "Limited" service, and it gives me the option to upgrade to full service. I don't see the point, so I'm sticking with the basic service.

So please don't let the idea of an annual fee discourage you from microchipping your pet - you have the choice of whether to pay for their full coverage.

Thank you for this important post.
I never received anything to renew.

meowers · Oct 4, 2008

That is better info then Ive gotten before. Why isnt HomeAgain more clear on that? Holly is chipped and good for at least a year I guess

sarahp · Oct 5, 2008

Originally Posted by Meowers

That is better info then Ive gotten before. Why isnt HomeAgain more clear on that? Holly is chipped and good for at least a year I guess

Because they want you to keep paying an unnecessary annual fee

kitytize · Oct 5, 2008

Originally Posted by Meowers

Why isnt HomeAgain more clear on that?

I think they should be! People are turning away from this brand or microchips all together because they think they have an annual fee.

johnk73 · Mar 7, 2011

If you look carefully at the HomeAgain form, you don't HAVE to check that you want to enroll in their "Network membership". Which is where they will notify shelters and vets in your area if you call and say your pet is lost. You don't HAVE to fill in the grey payment areas at the bottom of the form. The form is deceptive and confusing.
Just fill in your name, address and phone number and mail it in.
http://microchip.homeagain.com/faqs....cidenottorenew
"Once entered in the HomeAgain database, microchips are registered for life, whether or not pet owners renew their annual memberships, and contact information may be updated online anytime free of charge by logging into HomeAgain.com."

stephanietx · Mar 8, 2011

I had to pay the initial fee for Tumbles when he got his chip this past year. They asked me if I wanted to renew it for my other kitties. I told them I really didn't want to have to pay for the one I was paying for since I didn't really want all the extras!

The other thing you get is animal poison control.

fulpmes · Mar 9, 2011

Originally Posted by stephanietx

The other thing you get is animal poison control.

ASPCA has an animal poison control number - pretty sure I've got it on a magnet on my fridge. There's a fee for consultation, but at least it is on an as-needed basis, rather than paying for a Home Again service that one hopefully doesn't need. The ASPCA service is 24/7/365.

Here's a link:
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/

My girls both have a Home Again microchip, but I, too, chose not to pay the full-service fee. But I am very happy that they have the protection of being in the database in case disaster happens. I hope people are not discouraged from microchipping by thinking they must pay annually -- one does have to read very carefully to find that one does not.

naps with cats · Mar 10, 2011

Wow, I'd never even heard of an annual fee. All my cats are from the kill shelter where they microchip for you and I guess it's the basic service (Name, address, phone). What else would you need, I wonder? I only paid the fees for the adoption at the kill shelter which came with microchip, spay/neuter, free vet visit, Rabies shot and vaccinations, coupons for great discounts at local pet stores.

Thanks for the info, interesting. I won't be looking into full coverage, either, since the main info is in the basic (again, I'm guessing that's what my cats have from the shelter).

Warmly,

Julie O'

Originally Posted by sarahp

Just thought I'd make a new post about this since there has been some confusion.

When you get a Home Again microchip, you pay an initial fee. That puts your pet in their database, and gives you full coverage for 1 year. This full coverage includes 24/7 medical assistance to a hotline, they assist you if your pet goes missing (contact vets and shelters in your area), and I think there was something else.

After a year you have the option to renew that full coverage, or just stick with the basic free service which is keeping your pet in their database.

If I log in to my HomeAgain account, I have my 3 kitties as well as a bunch of kitties I fostered and adopted out recently whose owners haven't changed their information to their name. The recently chipped kitties have "Full" service next to their names, and the date the full service expires. My kitties have "Limited" service, and it gives me the option to upgrade to full service. I don't see the point, so I'm sticking with the basic service.

So please don't let the idea of an annual fee discourage you from microchipping your pet - you have the choice of whether to pay for their full coverage.

johnk73 · Mar 10, 2011

I called HomeAgain today. You DO have to send in a one-time fee of $16.99. I was thinking that it was prepaid when I bought the kit from the vet. My vet confirmed that they don't send any information to HomeAgain, so my cats aren't in the database yet.

HomeAgain said a check with the form would be fine.

naps with cats · Mar 10, 2011

WOW! You paid the vet AND have to pay for the entering into the database? That's so wrong of the vet not to have told you that!

I'm sorry this happened to you! But once you're in, (well, once your cat(s) are in, you're in for life). Just contact when you have a change of number or address is all.

Again, so sorry your vet did not tell you about this.

Warmly,

Julie O'

Originally Posted by johnk73

I called HomeAgain today. You DO have to send in a one-time fee of $16.99. I was thinking that it was prepaid when I bought the kit from the vet. My vet confirmed that they don't send any information to HomeAgain, so my cats aren't in the database yet.

HomeAgain said a check with the form would be fine.

nekochan · Mar 10, 2011

Originally Posted by Naps With Cats

WOW! You paid the vet AND have to pay for the entering into the database? That's so wrong of the vet not to have told you that!
'

Yeah that's how AVID is too, or at least was the last time I got AVID chips (a year or two ago)... You pay the vet for the microchipping, but they don't register them with AVID, to do that you have to send in a form to AVID and pay a fee.

Two of my pets have chips with ResQ, I like their system much better as the vet had me fill in a form at the office, and then the vet staff register it on ResQ's website for you so you don't have to send anything in or pay any extra fees. Plus, you can update the info on ResQ's website at any time for free, unlike AVID which charges you to make any changes to your contact info.

darlili · Mar 10, 2011

Julie, did you check to see where the chip is registered? When I adopted mine, they were chipped, but I did have to pay a nominal amount (maybe $10-15) to change the contact from the shelter to me. I've got AVID.

fulpmes · Mar 29, 2011

Folks might want to check with their shelter, too. My girls came pre-chipped from the shelter and they sent home a form with me to fill out. The form said a fee had to be submitted, but the shelter sent separate instructions indicating the fee was paid and to be careful not to pay twice. I confirmed with them and then sent in the paperwork without an additional fee and got confirmation from Home Again that my girls were in the system. It looks like arrangements may vary.

naps with cats · Mar 29, 2011

It looks like arrangements may vary.[/quote]

Exactly! The kill shelter here absolutely pays the fee; the person adopting just has to call in to change the information from the Animal Services address to the adopter's address.

Oh! The Microchip service I have is called PetLink - their website is:
PetLink.com

:-D

Very easy to use.

orangeishcat · Mar 29, 2011

I apologize if this is a silly or obvious question, but I've heard a lot of conflicting reports on this... some say yes, some say no, some say they just have to be sedated.

Does an animal have to be put under anasthesia to be microchipped?

naps with cats · Mar 29, 2011

Does an animal have to be put under anasthesia to be microchipped?[/quote]

Not at all! Seen it done many, many times. They just get a syringe that fits the small microchip in it and slip it right between the shoulder blades and, voila - done!

After giving Sub-Q fluids for almost 3 years now, the microchip is nothin'. Nothing to worry about. Just like giving a regular vaccination or something similar.

:-D

Warmly,

Julie O'

NOTE: However, If someone has never done it before there may be cause for concern as it does have to go in to the skin and not into a muscle or organ. But for someone who is experienced, it's a nothing procedure. They do it 50 times a day at the shelter (if they hopefully adopt that many pets out!

orangeishcat · Mar 29, 2011

Whew, that's great to hear- thank you so much!! I want my mom to get her cat microchipped, but I was really worried because I know that anasthesia for a cat can be dangerous. Now I'm really going to push her to do it!

nekochan · Apr 1, 2011

No they do not have to be sedated or anesthetized. I've had animals from young kittens to big dogs microchipped, none of them were sedated in any way. It's quick and while it is a big needle (the chip has to fit through it) and it may be a little more painful than a shot or blood draw, it's not that bad.

A friend of mine had a cat who was microchipped by the shelter, and she later found out they had given her the wrong paperwork!
So if you adopt a cat who is already microchipped be sure to check the paperwork and also if you can, have it scanned to make sure the number you have registered matches the number on the cat's chip.
Something similar happened with my dog, when her previous owners bought her the registration papers listed a different tattoo number than the tattoo she has. It seems the breeder mistakenly gave her the registration forms for one of the other puppies in the litter.

jenny yunker · Jan 24, 2012

With the Home again chip, when the pet has full coverage(paying that yearly fee) give you free calls to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Typically they have a $65 fee, but if the pet has the HA chip and has full coverage, home again covers that $65 fee.

Free calls meaning if your pet ingested something and you want to know if it would harm the animal at all or just for normal medical advice (like you pet is scooting)

Home Again microchip "Annual Fee"

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