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•	determine whether your pet already has an identification microchip, inserted by the seller and/or breeder
•	if so: phone the NDG to request the registration form for inclusion in the NDG database
•	if not: your veterinarian can use an injection needle to insert a microchip with the unique identification number under your pet’s skin
•	you will receive a registration form on which you can fill in your address details and the identification number
•	you send this form to the NDG, where the data will be added to the database
•	if your pet is found by or brought to an employee of a veterinary practice, animal rescue service, or animal shelter, he or she will use a special scanner to read the identification number (nearly all of these institutions will have such a scanner and it is standard practice to scan every pet found)
•	the employee contacts the NDG (this is possible 24 hours a day) and submits the identification number
•	the NDG searches the database for a match and passes on your name and address
•	you receive a phone call immediately, telling you where you can go to collect your pet
•	the system operates in the Netherlands and abroad, and it is undergoing constant expansion to create a link to Europetnet, a system that groups several animal databases from European countries.