OFA Verification of Permanent Identification guidelines
Currently, the OFA will accept applications regardless of whether the dog has been permanently identified via tattoo or microchip.
Dogs without permanent identification are assigned a NOPI suffix to the end of their OFA numbers, dogs with acceptable permanent ID are assigned a PI suffix, and dogs with VERIFIED permanent identification are assigned a VPI suffix.
However, only those dogs with VERIFIED PERMANENT IDENTIFICATION VIA MICROCHIP OR TATTOO will have their OFA hip and elbow information transmitted to the AKC for inclusion on AKC pedigrees and registration materials. DNA profiles DO NOT count a permanent identification for health testing purposes. While DNA profiles are able to uniquely identify individual dogs, they are not immediately verifiable. They require a sample to be taken and subsequent laboratory analysis. As forms of permanent identification for health testing purposes, tattoos are visually immediately verifiable, and microchips are immediately verifiable using a scanner. This allow for the identification to be verified at the time of the health testing.
In order to add a higher level of integrity to the OFA databases, the OFA Hip and Elbow application form has been modified to include an area for the attending veterinarian to indicate whether or not they verified the supplied permanent identification. The revised application form is currently available as a downloadable .pdf file from the OFA website.
Veterinarians are encouraged to make the verification part of their standard procedure for taking OFA hip and/or elbow films. Owners are encouraged to brief their vets on this policy change and when necessary proactively request that the verification step be performed.
For dogs that did not have their id’s verified, the form below accommodates verification by a veterinarian and allows the verified id to be compared to previously supplied unverified permanent identification.
Verification of Permanent Identification Form
