Central Animal Records

What Central Animal Records does

Central Animal Records (CAR) is a privately held Australian company that operates the country's largest and longest-running national pet microchip database, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Keysborough, Victoria. The company maintains a registry linking 15-digit RFID microchip numbers to pet and owner contact details, accessible 24/7 by veterinarians, local councils, and animal welfare organizations to facilitate lost-pet recovery. As of the latest disclosures, the database holds over 6.1 million pet listings representing approximately 4.66 million owners, with the company claiming a reunification rate of one recovered pet every 2.4 minutes (over 200,000 per year) and cumulative recoveries exceeding 3.25 million.

The core platform is augmented by a tiered set of products and services. These include a tiered lifetime listing offering ($11.99 basic through $149.99 premium), ownership transfer services ($16.99 online; $21.99 paper form), the V.I.Pet/CARMA Rewards Club monthly subscription ($2.49–$11.99/month) with 19 premium features including an Active Recovery Service, SMART Tags with QR/NFC, CAR Collar Tags, paper and digital certificates (Deluxe $15, Pet Portrait $50, Pet Masterpiece $119), and the Lost Pet HUB public dashboard. The group encompasses Microchips Australia and PIT Tags Australia (hardware), CARMA Rewards Club (membership, 2023), and The Daily Scoop consumer products (2026, distributed through Woolworths).

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining one-time lifetime listing fees, recurring monthly subscriptions, physical product sales (e-commerce plus Woolworths retail), and paper-form premiums. Distribution runs through a direct-to-consumer website (car.com.au) and My Pet mobile app, a dedicated B2B channel serving veterinary clinics (with VetDB PIMS integration in Western Australia), local councils, and animal welfare organizations, a 24/7 lost-pets recovery phone line, and the Woolworths retail partnership. The company operates as a licensed animal microchip registry under Victorian government oversight and is privately held by Central Animal Records Australia Pty Ltd (ACN 052 993 101), with 11–50 employees and no public funding rounds disclosed.

Name

Central Animal Records

Legal name

Central Animal Records Australia Pty Ltd

Website

https://car.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Central Animal Records operates Australia's largest national pet microchip database, linking 15-digit RFID microchips to owner details for 6.1M+ pets. It serves individual pet owners, veterinarians, councils, and welfare organizations through a one-time listing and monthly subscription model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Identification and Microchip Registry Services

NAICS

Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (459910), Veterinary Services (54194)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Identification & Tracking Devices (Microchips, RFID, Tags, Scanners) (HLAMAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lost & Found, Reunification & Microchipping Programs (BPAGAIAL)

Keywords

• Pet microchip registry
• National pet database
• Lost pet recovery
• Microchip identification
• Animal welfare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Keysborough

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Lifetime Microchip Listings: One-time fees for listing pets on the database. New listings cost $11.99 online, ownership transfers cost $16.99 online. These lifetime subscriptions include digital certificates of ownership and ongoing database management.
2. CARMA Rewards Club / V.I.Pet Premium Membership: Monthly subscription service with three tiers: BASIC ($2.49/month), MAX ($5.49/month), and PREMO ($11.99/month). Provides premium features including active recovery services, exclusive discounts, priority support, and member giveaways. Optional upsell for pet owners seeking enhanced protection.
3. Pet Products: Sale of physical products including SMART Tags ($19.99), CAR Collar Tags ($8.00), Deluxe Certificates ($15.00), Pet Portrait Certificates ($50.00), Pet Masterpiece artworks ($119.00), and The Daily Scoop dog poo bags (from $9.99). Products available through e-commerce and retail (Woolworths).
4. Form-based Services: Paper form submissions for ownership transfers and new listings at $21.99 per transaction. Higher cost than online options to encourage digital adoption. Includes lifetime subscription and certificate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Central Animal Records operates Australia's largest privately-owned pet microchip database, providing lifetime microchip registration, identification and 24/7 lost-pet recovery services for approximately 3.6 million animals. The company serves individual pet owners (consumer listings, CARMA Rewards Club premium membership, branded merchandise) and B2B customers including veterinary clinics (VetDB portal, ICAR-only Trovan/C.A.R. microchips), local councils, and animal welfare organisations.

Product overview

Central Animal Records operates a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on Australia's largest national pet microchip database (established 1989). The core service is a lifetime microchip listing that links pet microchip numbers to owner contact details for lost pet recovery. This core platform is augmented by the V.I.Pet/CARMA Rewards Club premium membership ($2.49-$11.99/month) offering 19 exclusive features including Active Recovery Service, Lost Pet Poster Studio, and exclusive discounts. The company also offers physical products including SMART Tags ($19.99) with QR/NFC functionality, CAR Collar Tags ($8.00), Pet Portrait Certificates ($50.00), Pet Masterpiece artworks ($119.00), Deluxe Certificates ($15.00), and Pet Memoriam Posters. The Daily Scoop sub-brand (launched 2026) provides dog poo bags with 5% of profits supporting animal welfare. Additional offerings include V.I.Pet-branded merchandise (feeding mats, beds, apparel), pet bowls, and the Lost Pet HUB public listing platform. The My Pet mobile app enables online pet management. Microchips are supplied through Microchips Australia with prepaid C.A.R. listings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Microchips Australia: Companion animal microchips and readers
• PIT Tags Australia
• CARMA Rewards Club
• The Daily Scoop
• V.I.Pet
• SMART Tag
• My Pet App
• Lost Pet HUB
• VetDB

Products and services

• Lifetime Microchip Listing One-time permanent registration of a pet's unique microchip number against owner contact details in the CAR National Pet Microchip Database. Required by Australian state legislation and used to reunite lost pets with their owners.
• CARMA Rewards Club / V.I.Pet Premium Membership Tiered annual subscription (BASIC, MAX, PREMO) providing unlimited changes, premium support, automatic ownership-transfer handling and exclusive perks. Marketed as a premium upgrade over the free tier.
• Trovan / C.A.R. Microchips ICAR-only quality-assured ISO 11784/11785 RFID microchips sold to veterinary clinics and breeders for implantation in companion animals; uniquely keyed to the CAR database to mitigate counterfeit risk.
• SMART Tag (QR + NFC collar tag) Smart collar tag combining QR code and NFC technology to link to a pet's CAR profile for fast lost-pet reporting and recovery. Sold direct-to-consumer.
• CAR Collar Tag Branded physical collar tag distributed as part of CAR's identification accessory range.
• Pet Portrait Certificate Personalised printed portrait certificate of a registered pet, sold as a keepsake / ownership document.
• Pet Masterpiece Premium framed artwork keepsake featuring the pet's portrait, positioned as an upsell to the standard Pet Portrait Certificate.
• Deluxe Certificate Upgraded version of the standard portrait certificate with enhanced design and materials, offered as part of the certificate range.
• Pet Memoriam Poster Printed memorial poster commemorating a deceased pet, sold to owners seeking a keepsake.
• The Daily Scoop Dog Poo Bags Branded compostable dog-waste bags retailed through car.com.au and Woolworths under The Daily Scoop brand (sister company).
• The Daily Scoop Dispensers (Luxury & Rugged) Premium and rugged poo-bag dispensers sold as companions to The Daily Scoop dog waste bags.
• V.I.Pet XL Feeding Mat Large feeding mat sized for XL-breed pets, sold under the V.I.Pet brand premium accessory range.
• V.I.Pet XL Pet Bed Extra-large pet bed designed for bigger breeds, sold under the V.I.Pet premium accessory range.
• V.I.Pet Apparel (Tank Top & Hoodie) Branded pet clothing (tank tops and hoodies) retailed under the V.I.Pet premium lifestyle range.
• Pet Feeding Mat, Food Bowl and Water Bowl Standard everyday pet-feeding accessories (mats and bowls) retailed through the CAR store.
• My Pet Mobile App Free iOS and Android application that allows owners to manage their pet's CAR profile, report a pet lost or found, view records and access recovery services.
• Lost Pet HUB Digital lost-and-found hub on car.com.au enabling owners to publish lost-pet alerts and the public to report found animals, integrated with the 24/7 call-centre recovery service.
• VetDB Smart Microchip Registration Portal Web portal used by veterinary clinics to register microchipped animals directly into the CAR National Database, transfer ownership and manage records.

Quantifiable outcome

• A lost pet is recovered every 2.4 minutes through the database
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Daily ScoopcoreOthers · 1 January 2026Sister company within The Central Animal Records Group. Est. 2026. Dog poo bag brand producing practical, strong, and reliable bags. 5% of profits support animal welfare initiatives. Available through CAR e-commerce and Woolworths retail.
• CARMA Rewards ClubcoreOthers · 1 January 2023Sister company within The Central Animal Records Group. Est. 2023. Provides exclusive features, discounts, and free giveaways for Central Animal Records customers. Operates as the loyalty and rewards program driving premium subscriptions.
• WoolworthscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Daily Scoop dog poo bags (part of The Central Animal Records Group) are available for purchase through Woolworths online, expanding retail distribution beyond the company's own e-commerce platform. This partnership provides mainstream retail visibility for pet care products while supporting animal welfare through 5% of profits donation.
• Paws For A PurposeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for area-based health alerts. When disease outbreaks (such as Parvovirus) are reported, notifications are shared with V.I.Pet owners through the CAR platform. This partnership enhances the health risk alert system for pet owners.
• Microchips AustraliacoreOthersSister company within The Central Animal Records Group. Est. 1989. Provides companion animal microchips and readers. Products include lifetime C.A.R. listings with microchip purchases. The companies share founders and operate as an integrated ecosystem.
• PIT Tags AustraliaminorOthersSister company within The Central Animal Records Group. Est. 1989. Specializes in wildlife and aquaculture microchips, readers, and RFID equipment. Complements the companion animal focus of Central Animal Records.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Pet-Identifier (Identipet): South African pet microchip and recovery registry. Comparable pet identification infrastructure model but operating in a different geography, making it a regional peer rather than direct competitor.
• Petlog (UK): The UK's largest pet reunification database, managed by the Kennel Club. Comparable registry-plus-recovery architecture serving pet owners, vets, and rescue organizations in another geographic market.

Emerging players

• Tractive: GPS-based pet tracker and location service. Adjacent to CAR's identification/recovery model but using live location rather than microchip lookup — represents an emerging technology direction that could complement or compete with traditional microchipping.

Direct peers

• HomeAgain: One of the largest pet recovery and microchip enrollment services in the United States. Directly comparable to CAR as a national pet microchip registry that links microchip numbers to owner details for recovery via vets and shelters.
• Australasian Animal Registry (AAR): Direct Australian competitor in pet microchip registration and recovery. Operates in the same Australian regulatory environment and competes for the same vets, councils, and breeders that CAR serves.
• 24PetWatch: North American pet microchip registry and lost pet recovery service. Same registry-plus-recovery business model targeting individual pet owners, vets, and shelters.
• PetLink: Canadian pet microchip and recovery database operated by DATAMARS. Directly comparable to CAR as a national pet identification registry integrated with veterinary clinics for reunification.
• AKC Reunite: American Kennel Club's companion animal microchip registry and recovery service. Operates the same model as CAR — lifetime microchip listings, recovery network, and supporting products — making it a strong direct comparator.

Others

• PetSure: Australian pet insurance provider that benefits from microchip-linked pet identification through CAR. Adjacent ecosystem participant — they consume registry infrastructure rather than competing with it but operate in the broader Australian pet services economy alongside CAR.

Broad incumbents

• Datamars (Trovan): Global pet identification and RFID infrastructure provider that owns Trovan — the manufacturer of microchips distributed by CAR's sister company Microchips Australia. Comparable as an integrated pet-ID hardware and registry player across multiple countries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/centralanimalrecords

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Central Animal Records