A microchip is a 'passive transponder' slightly larger than a grain of rice, which is injected under your pet's skin. It carries a code (similar to the bar code at the supermarket) unique to that pet, which is placed onto a national computer database and appears on a certificate of identification posted to you.

Micro-chipping is the most effective form of permanent identification. If your pet is lost and ends up at the Animal Management Centre, the RSPCA or a vet clinic, a microchip scanner is passed over your pet to reveal the unique code. The operator can read the code on the scanner display and then refer to the Central Animal Records database to identify your name, address and phone number.

Does my pet have to be microchipped?

The following animals are required by law to be microchipped:

1) Dogs and cats aged under 3 months of age as of the 1st July 2009, or born since then

2) Any dog or cat, of any age, that changes ownership (by sale or by gift) after the 1st July 2009

The following animals do not have to be microchipped:

1) Dogs and cats aged over 3 months of age on the 1st July 2009 who remain with their current owners and are not sold or given away;

2) Working rural dogs (not hunting dogs)

Who has to pay for the microchipping?

The person selling or supplying the pet is responsible for the cost of microchipping. Whether you intend to sell or give your puppies or kittens to a pet store or a friend, you have to pay for the microchipping.

If you are buying a puppy or kitten that is already microchipped, you are responsible for the cost of transferring the registration details.

Who can implant the microchip?

Only government-approved Authorised Implanters are allowed to insert a microchip. At the moment, only veterinarians who have attended a course of instruction are allowed to perform microchipping.

Microchipping at the West Toowoomba Vet Surgery

The West Toowoomba Vet Surgery is the only Australian Veterinary Association 'Accredited Microchip Centre' in Toowoomba. (See this link: AVA Microchipping Centres)  As such, we have agreed to abide by a set of ethical and procedural guarantees to ensure that your pet is microchipped correctly, safely and that all the necessary paperwork is processed immediately. We have microchipped over 5,000 dogs and cats in the last 10 years through the Toowoomba City Council. We use Central Animal Records as our microchip database - we have been doing business with them for many years and can vouch for their efficiency and reliability. Yes, there are cheaper microchips available. But will they be there in 5 or 10 years time? Microchipping is for life, and we will only use a database that will be there for your pet's entire life.

So, if you are after experience and reliability, the West Toowoomba Vet Surgery is the best place for you and your pets!

How much does it cost? *

As of the 1st July 2009, the following fees apply:

• Microchipping as a 'stand alone' appointment:                              $55
  
• Microchipping done with surgery or a vaccination                         $44
  
• Microchipping a litter (> 2 pups or kittens intended for sale)        $39.50