- The microchip is a small transponder (it doesn’t have a power source) about the size of a grain of rice, which is inserted into the scruff of the dog’s neck. The procedure is as painless as an injection and takes only a few seconds. The chip contains a unique identification number that belongs only to your dog.
- After the Council is advised of a dog's microchip number or has inserted the microchip themselves, they load that number against the dog's record on the Council database, which includes the dog's address and owner details.
- From there the microchip number is uploaded along with other dog and owner details to the National Dog Database which holds records of all dogs registered in New Zealand.
- The Council's Animal Management Officers carry microchip readers and can scan a dog to check for a microchip. From there they will check databases to see whether that chip number is recorded, so that they may contact the dog's owner or return the dog back to it's home.
- Occasionally when a dog is either imported with a non-prescribed chip (as are used in some other parts of the world), or when a chip has moved from its place of insertion or has fallen out, a dog may need to be inserted with another chip, but this is uncommon.
If you have any questions about the microchipping process please feel free to contact the Animal Management section on 03 941 8999.