Legally, all dogs registered for the first time since 1 July 2006 must be micro-chipped.
Micro-chipping is a simple, life-long means of identifying a dog and linking it to the owner. The chip itself is about the size of a grain of rice and is inserted into the scruff of the dogs neck. The whole process takes only a few seconds and for the dog, is similar to receiving a vaccination.
You may choose to have your vet do the chipping, or alternatively, South Taranaki District Council Animal Services officers are trained in the procedure and can do this for you at the District Pound between 1pm – 2pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. There is no need to make an appointment – just turn up. The cost is $26.00, and can be paid at any Council office or at the Pound (but please do bear in mind that we do not have eftpos or change at the Pound). This is a “one off” fee as your dog will only ever need to be micro-chipped once, and includes the cost of entering the information into the National Dog Database.
Dogs which may be exempt from micro-chipping are rural dogs which are used primarily for working stock, and to obtain an exemption, owners must sign a declaration to this effect before their exemption tags are issued. If there is any doubt, you may be asked to demonstrate your dogs herding capabilities (we sometimes have difficulty visualizing a Chihuahua shifting a herd of cattle !!)
Micro-chipping has proved to be so successful when it comes to reuniting stolen dogs with their rightful owners, that many farmers who have valuable dogs are now chipping their dogs. It is a real deterrent, as less dogs are being stolen because dog thieves can’t tell if a dog has a chip, and are not in a position to get someone to scan the dog for them.
