Microchipping

It always saddens us to hear of families who have lost beloved fur babies. It makes us equally sad, when lost pets are brought into the veterinary hospital, with no form of identification on them – no chip or collar or tag. Or, their chip is still registered to the breeder’s name but the pet is 12 years old.

Russell Vale Animal Clinic is a “Scan and Check Centre” – what this means is that we, whenever possible, scan and check all Australian (and if needed overseas) databases on all visiting pets.

Getting back to basics –

What is a microchip? It is a small rice sized encoded chip that is inserted via a special needle under the skin, to be located (usually) between the shoulder blades.

This makes it easy for anyone to scan the pet, and check the number, even from a distance.

Once the chip is inserted, the unique number is coded onto a database linked to the owner’s name and details. In New South Wales, this database is the Companion Animals Register.

All puppies and kittens must be microchipped at point of sale, and all breeders are required to ensure prompt transfer of details to the new owners within 7 days.

Council Registration ( a fee to NSW Council) is required by 6 months of age (for dogs), and 4 months (for cats). This is compulsory. When your pet is desexed, your vet will update the microchip database for you to confirm their desexing status, and you can then finalise your registration by payment of a fee to council.

For those pets who travel state lines, we recommend placing their details onto a National Database, such as Central Animal Records, Lost Pets Register or the Australasian Animal Register.

Did you know? If your pet is handed into a vet hospital as a stray by a Good Samaritan, do not forget to thank the vet team for looking after your pet. After all, they are not required to under the current NSW legislation, and can even be fined for caring for a lost pet.

If your pet ever goes missing or is stolen, please make sure you update the database IMMEDIATELY … as a scan and check centre, we will be able to easily identify that this pet is either stolen or deemed missing (but now in the care of a new person).

Making sure your microchip details are up to date

Microchip details are only as good as the information on the database. If you move, get a new phone, relationships change, then you need to update your pet’s details each time.

If you know your pet’s microchip number, click here to find out which register their details are on, or visit us today so we can scan your pet, and check the details for you (and thus point you in the right direction).

Until the collar comes out that converts dog barks to human speak, we need to rely on the microchip and tag to get your pet home.

In NSW, it is now a legal requirement for all dogs to have a collar and tag.