Waikato District Council is offering dog microchipping for just $20 – down from $37 – on Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 March, but to get the ‘cheap’ chip, Raglan dog owners will have to pay for a tank of gas to get them and their dog to Ngaruawahia and back.
Raglan Community Board Chair, Rodger Gallagher said, “It is disappointing that this cheap deal isn’t being made available to Raglan dog owners. At the Community Board meeting on 12th March, Board member Ms Mellsop and Councillor Baddeley both commented on the dog problems in Bow St, Raglan and Mayor Sanson advocated a swoop on roaming dogs in Raglan.”
The Waikato Distrcit Council media release follows:
Waikato District Council is offering dog microchipping for just $20 – down from $37 – on Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 March.
The service will run from 11am to 3pm and will be held at Lake Hakanoa Domain, Huntly on the Tuesday and The Point, Ngaruawahia on the Wednesday.
The council’s Animal Control manager John Bowler said microchipping was not only a legal requirement for most dogs, but was also in the best interest of your canine companions.
“Microchipping is a simple, lifelong way to identify your dog, resulting in a speedier return if it was ever lost, stolen or injured.”
Mr Bowler said the effectiveness of microchipping was proved a couple of years ago when one of his animal control officers was able to reunite a dog with its owner, after it was found 540km away from home.
“The dog was picked up wandering in Ngaruawahia, after scanning her microchip we realised she was a long way from her home – Wainuiomata in Lower Hutt. We contacted the owner and thanks to the microchip there was a very happy reunion.”
Mr Bowler urged dog owners to take advantage of this cheap and easy offer and said there would be Masterpet giveaways up for grabs on both days.
“It’s a quick and simple procedure involving the insertion of a microchip, which is about the size of a grain of rice, into the scruff of the dog’s neck,” he said.
The microchip contains a number belonging only to that dog, enabling secure and reliable identification.
Since 1 July 2006, all dogs registered in New Zealand for the first time (except farm dogs used for stock control) must be microchipped.
Dogs classified as dangerous or menacing, dogs impounded but not registered and dogs registered but impounded twice are also required to be microchipped.
Dog owners who fail to get their dogs’ microchipped could be fined.