Free microchipping of dogs in Hastings
Hastings dog owners will be able to get their beloved pet microchipped for free until Christmas.
Hastings District Council is offering free microchipping of dogs that are not currently microchipped but are registered
and resident in Hastings District. The service begins this Saturday 6 September 2014 and runs until Saturday 20 December
2014.
Group Manager Planning and Regulatory Malcom Hart says “It is mandatory in New Zealand that all newly registered dogs
are microchipped. This ensures that dogs can be permanently and easily identified, the chips provide a secure link to
the dog’s owner and they also help the reuniting of a dog with its owner in instances where it has strayed from its
property.”
Malcom Hart says “The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is inserted into the scruff of a dog’s neck. It
only takes a few seconds to insert the chip and then the microchip number and the owner’s details are entered on
national dog database, which aids recognition.”
“In the event that a microchipped dog strays from its property and is taken to the pound, a vet or the SPCA, a simple
scan will determine the number and this can be linked with the details available on the national database,” Mr Hart
says.
The free microchipping service will be available at the Hastings Animal Pound in Stevens Place Hastings between 11am and
12 noon on Saturday mornings. There is no need to book and the whole process should only take 2 – 3 minutes.
You can also bring your dog to the pound between 11am and noon on Saturday’s if you are not sure whether it is
microchipped. The Animal Control Officers will quickly be able to determine whether the dog is chipped and the correct
details are entered into the national database.
Note: Working dogs are exempt from microchipping.
ends