Identity & Microchipping
Put an Identity Tag on Your Pet Immediately
Put an identity tag with contact ph numbers on your dog as soon as you get it. When a dog is new to a family it will be disorientated and may try to find a way out. Many hours have been wasted looking for owners and owners looking for dogs. All very upsetting for everyone concerned. People are more willing to intervene to rescue a dog if it is wearing a tag.
The Law and your pet
A very useful guide has been produced by The NSW Young Lawyers. This is a free publication produced to help with questions pertaining to:
nuisance orders
pets and property
pets and wills
dangerous and restricted dogs
animals and injury
animal cruelty
pets and family law
assistance animals
general requirements for keeping a pet
Registering Your Dog (much cheaper if pet is desexed)
How to: Lifetime registration can be done at any local council. All NSW Councils are connected to the statewide Register.
What to take with you:
A certificate of micro chipping or a letter from your vet
Proof of de sexing from your vet or a statutory declaration
Any documents which entitle you to a discount
Once only registration Fee
Registration fees are remitted by councils to the State Government. Councils are reimbursed the majority depending on the number of animals kept in their area. Councils can then use this money for their animal management activities including providing rangers, pounds facilities, designated dog refuse bins, educational and other activities.
| Registration Type | Registration Fee |
|---|---|
| Desexed cat or dog | $40 |
| Desexed cat or dog owned by a pensioner | $15 |
| Entire (undesexed) cat or dog | $150 |
| Entire cat or dog owned by a registered breeder | $40 |
| Assistance dogs | Free |
The law and your pet + Why is it so important to identify your pet?
Teardrop comes home
Sydneysider Alison Miller was frantic when her 18-month old dog, Teardrop, went missing. Ten days later, Alison’s phone rang. Calling was a council ranger from Tamworth, 340Km away.
Teardrop had been microchipped and registered with Alison’s local council. When a ranger found the dog in Tamworth, he scanned for a microchip, checked the register and identified Teardrop.
‘I’m glad I had him chipped and registered’ Alison said. ‘Otherwise he could’ve been put down.’
In NSW, around 80,000 dogs and cats are lost, hurt or stolen each year. Most are impounded and of those that are taken to pounds, many are not able to be identified. The Companion Animals Act was introduced by the NSW Government in 1998 to protect pets, their owners and the broader community. If an animal is not claimed with 14 days the operators of the pound may have to euthanize the pet.
No matter where you get your dog from, make sure you contact the council where you are living to update your dogs micro chip details. You must know the microchip number (see Importance of Record Keeping)
Local dog trainers
Barco – community dog training based in the north of Byron Shire. Email barcodogs@gmail.com Phone 0429 518 817 or 0447 975 201.
Barco is a voluntary not for profit organisation who run dog obedience classes to teach people how to be responsible dog owners. Training sessions are each Sunday morning starting at 9am at Brunswick Heads sports fields. If you are fostering a Byron Dog Rescue dog the training is free for that dog. For all other dog owners, once the $20 yearly registration fee is paid, the only other cost is only $5 each time you attend training.