How can I microchip my pet?

Microchipping your pet is important to ensure that they have the best chance of being reunited with you if they are lost.

A microchip is a piece of electronic identification that is placed inside your pet. This is a quick procedure and the chip itself will not affect your pet’s health in any way. Each microchip has a unique registration that can be used to track the contact details of the pet’s owner.

The process is quite simple and can be broken down into the following steps.

When you visit your veterinary clinic for your pet’s final vaccination, which is usually around three months of age, ask your vet to implant a microchip at the same time. The microchip is roughly the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the skin between the animal’s shoulder blades. Sometimes there is a small amount of pain associated with the implantation, and using local anaesthetic cream on the skin prior to implantation can reduce this. Over the course of your pet’s life, microchips can migrate and move from between the shoulder blades, making finding the microchip difficult. At your annual vaccination visit, ask your vet to check that your pet’s chip is still easily scannable.
Once microchipped, your veterinarian will ask you to fill out a form. The vet will then send off the microchip information to a microchip register, such as the Companion Animal Register, and you will be given a carbon copy of the microchip information for your records. Once the details have been entered at the register, a certificate of identification is sent to you from the relevant microchip registry.
Then contact your local council or go online to access a permanent identification form.
Take your completed permanent identification form, certificate of identification, payment and any other relevant forms (such as a desexing certificate from your local vet), to your local council. Once registered, some councils will send you a registration tag that you should place on your pet’s collar.

Only authorised microchip implanters are permitted to microchip pets. Vets, animal welfare organisations and some councils can assist you with microchipping. Contact your local vet for more information.

Microchip rules as per state

Below are the state microchipping requirements for Cats and Dogs:

ACT- Yes, Section 84 of the Domestic Animals Act 2000 and Regulation 7 of the Domestic Animals Regulation 2001 require microchipping of cats and dogs prior to sale/transfer and by 12 weeks of age.

NSW- Yes, Section 8 of the Companion Animals Act 1998 requires microchipping of cats and dogs prior to sale/transfer and by 12 weeks of age. From 1 July 2019, it is mandatory for anyone selling or giving away a dog or cat to use an identification number in their advertisement – this number can either be the microchip number or breeder identification number or a rehoming organisation number. This is enforced under Section 23 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979. This allows buyers to search the NSW Pet Registry to see the pet’s details and make informed purchasing decisions.

NT- No, however, it is compulsory if you are within the City of Darwin as part of the Council’s Animal Management By-Laws.

QLD- Yes, Section 14 of the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 requires microchipping of cats and dogs prior to reaching 12 weeks of age unless there is a reasonable excuse.

SA- Yes, from 1st July 2018, part 4A of the Dog and Cat Management (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2016 (SA) requires microchipping of cats and dogs prior to sale/transfer and prior to reaching 12 weeks of age.

TAS- Yes for dogs. Section 15A of the Dog Control Act 2000 requires microchipping of dogs by 6 months of age. Not yet for cats.

VIC- Yes, Section 10C of the Domestic Animals Act 1994 requires cats and dogs to be microchipped as a condition of registration (which is compulsory once the animal is 3 months of age). Section 12A (2) of the Domestic Animals Act 1994 requires an animal’s microchip number to be displayed in any advertisement for the animal, but not at the point of sale. If the seller is a ‘domestic animal business’ the breeder must display the microchip number or the breeder registration number, and the name of the issuing Council.

WA- Yes, Section 21 of the Dog Act 1976 requires dogs to be microchipped when they are 3 months of age, and being registered for the first time or when a change of ownership occurs. As of 1 November 2015, all dogs that have reached 3 months of age must be microchipped regardless of registration status.

Microchipping requirements for rabbits:

QLD - All rabbits must be microchipped and desexed within 6 months of obtaining the rabbit if a juvenile, or on obtaining the rabbit as an adult, unless written advice has been obtained by a veterinarian that desexing would be detrimental to its welfare. All cats and dogs (over the age of 12 weeks) listed on PetRescue are required to have a valid microchip number. If a listing is found to have an invalid or false microchip number, then we may suspend that listing until a valid microchip number is provided.

Cost of microchipping pets:

The whole process of microchipping and registering your pet is relatively inexpensive. The cost of microchip implantation alone is roughly $40-$50 as an add-on to a consultation, and registration fees vary considerably between desexed and non-desexed animals, at roughly $40 compared to $150 respectively – a good incentive to de-sex your pets. Fees for concession holders are even less, with many councils offering free registration for your first pet.

If you fail to microchip and register your pet by six months of age, you can face a fine of $165, or up to $1,320 if you own a restricted breed.

But the most important reason to microchip and register your pet is if your dog or cat becomes lost, anyone with a microchip scanner (such as vet clinic, pound, shelter, and so on) can scan your pet’s microchip details, and access your contact details. This allows you to be easily found, and your pet quickly reunited with you.