FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Dennis Martinez
Office Administrator
dmartinez@horsecouncil.org
AHC Releases Equine Microchip “Look-up” Website
Washington DC – The American Horse Council is excited to announce the release of their new equine microchip lookup tool at www.Horselookup.org . This tool will allow the general public; most importantly horse owners, law enforcement and animal health officials, to search for association affiliation for horses that have been microchipped and registered with a participating organization. The American Horse Council is continuing to solicit participation from every U.S. organization that houses microchip information in an effort to make this tool as thorough as possible.
Microchip lookup services have existed for several animal species for years. Unfortunately, those lookup tools have certain limitations that prevented the entirety of the horse industry from being represented. www.Horselookup.org addresses those issues while also providing a central informational source for the equine industry concerning microchipping, as well as the promotion of microchipping as a form of permanent identification.
Horselookup.org also promotes the industry’s various Safety Net Programs. Safety Net Programs offer individuals the opportunity to attach their name to a horse’s registration for the purposes of providing an option for that horse should it ever be in need of a home. Safety Net Programs vary by organization and are managed by those participating organizations. If a horse is enrolled in a Safety Net Program, a special logo will appear with that animal’s search results specifying which program and the contact information for that organization.
The creation of Horselookup.org was possible thanks to a generous grant from the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). “The creation of the Equine Microchip Look-up Tool is a vital step to reaching the ASPCA’s goal of ensuring all equines have good welfare,” said Dr. Emily Weiss, vice president of . “The tool will not only help reunite horses with their owners during natural disasters, but it will also help to facilitate the growth of safety net programs where individuals who have owned, cared for or admired a horse can sign up to help that horse should he ever become at risk.”
We are very grateful to the early adopters of this new AHC led industry initiative; The Jockey Club and their Thoroughbred Connect Program, US Equestrian (USEF), Datamars, Inc. and their PetLink.net registry, Microchip ID Systems, Inc. and their Equine Protection registry as well as their LifeTrac Safety Net Program. The complete list of supporting organizations can be found .
Please visit for more information, or contact Cliff Williamson at cwilliamson@horsecouncil.org at the American Horse Council.
-30-
About the American Horse Council
As the national association representing all segments of the horse industry in Washington, D.C., the American Horse Council works daily to represent equine interests and opportunities. Organized in 1969, the AHC promotes and protects the industry by communicating with Congress, federal agencies, the media and the industry on behalf of all horse related interests each and every day.
The AHC is member supported by individuals and organizations representing virtually every facet of the horse world from owners, breeders, veterinarians, farriers, breed registries and horsemen’s associations to horse shows, race tracks, rodeos, commercial suppliers and state horse councils.