Pet Travel and Microchips

Name: Sylvain
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Dog
Pet Breed: French Toy Puddle
From: France
To: Boston, MA

Hello,

My dog is currently tattooed (as an identifier). Some other dogs have a microchip to identify them. What is the recommendation to identify dogs in Massachusetts? Is a chip mandatory or is an ear tattoo okay?

Thank you,

Sylvain
 

Hi Sylvain,

Thank you for your question! Technically you do not need to have a microchip to import your dog to the United States or meet Massachusetts laws. Here are the requirements; essentially, to travel to the US, you need a vet health certificate and proof of an updated rabies vaccine.

That being said, we often recommend that dogs and cats receive microchips for safety's sake. In the event of a separation (though hopefully that never happens), microchips holding updated information make it more likely that a reunion will occur. Also, if you ever want to to go back to France (or to another country with stricter requirements for pet import), you will need to have your dog microchipped.

Here is more information about microchips from our blog in case you have further questions about them.

Hopefully this has been helpful, Sylvain. Good luck with everything, and please let us know if you require further assistance.