Microchipping

Under the Companion Animal Act 1998, cat and dog owners must take two steps to provide their pet with lifetime protection:

• permanent microchip identification, and
• lifetime registration.

The whole process can be completed at our facilities with the help of our staff. Inserting a microchip is a very safe procedure that only takes a few moments.

Step 1 – Microchip and Identify

The first step is to permanently identify your cat or dog through microchipping before it is 12 weeks old. A chip about the size of a grain of rice is implanted just under the skin between the shoulder blades at the back of your pet’s neck. Each chip has a unique number that is detected using a microchip scanner and the details (about your pet and your contact details) are recorded in a central database, the Companion Animal Registry (CAR).

Should your pet go missing, the microchip will enable authorised pounds, animal shelters and veterinary hospitals to identify immediately and reunite you. Please ensure your contact details on the database are kept current.

Step 2 – Lifetime registration

The next step is to register your cat or dog with your local council by 6 months of age. As Northern Beaches (Warringah) Council and Ku-ring-gai Council pound, we can complete this part of the process for Warringah and Ku-ring-gai residents at the clinic. A one-off fee is payable to the NSW Pet Registry, this fee is reduced if you have your pet de-sexed.