Ready to microchip
The Whangarei District Council will be ready to microchip dogs when the new law comes into effect on July 1. While other local authorities have suggested defiance to the controversial law changes, especially as it applies to farm dogs, Whangarei plans to toe the line.
But compliance manager Nick Fowler says only new puppies and unregistered dogs found wandering will be microchipped. Law-abiding dog owners are unlikely to be affected until they get a new dog, which could be up to 20 years away, he says.
hein?!? 20 yrs away... I would love my dog to live until he's 20 but to really imply that people won't pay for another 20 years is misleading.
To help save costs to owners, animal control contractors will be able to insert the microchip, saving a trip to the vet, he says.
And how much will that be? I think that's a great idea, especially the personal factor, or am I misinterpreting something??
The council has already spent $30,000 on upgrading its computer system, so it can run with the new national database, controlled by the Department of Internal Affairs, says corporate services manager Alistair Drake.
$30,000...wow!! was that really necessary? I mean, that's a lot of dog bites!
While Mr Drake says he understands the frustration from the farming community, microchipping only has to be done once in a new dog's lifetime.
If that is so, why then do dog owner have to 'register' their dogs each year, if they are microchipped??
Contractors have been told not to be "over the top" in enforcement, he says.
"From a council's point of view we can't disobey the law...but they're not going to be seeking out dogs that need to be microchipped. "They're not going to be knocking on farmers' doors and asking if they have a new dog that needs to be microchipped."
but that will give council a great excuse to 'visit' those farmers.
Mr Fowler says microchipping will not stop a dog from biting but will eventually make it easier for the council to identify dogs.
so??
However the system will take up to 20 years to be put in place, as current dogs die out, he says.
The Whangarei District has 9500 registered dogs and anywhere between 3000 to 6000 unregistered dogs. Parliament is still debating whether to exclude working dogs or remove the need for microchipping altogether
But compliance manager Nick Fowler says only new puppies and unregistered dogs found wandering will be microchipped. Law-abiding dog owners are unlikely to be affected until they get a new dog, which could be up to 20 years away, he says.
hein?!? 20 yrs away... I would love my dog to live until he's 20 but to really imply that people won't pay for another 20 years is misleading.
To help save costs to owners, animal control contractors will be able to insert the microchip, saving a trip to the vet, he says.
And how much will that be? I think that's a great idea, especially the personal factor, or am I misinterpreting something??
The council has already spent $30,000 on upgrading its computer system, so it can run with the new national database, controlled by the Department of Internal Affairs, says corporate services manager Alistair Drake.
$30,000...wow!! was that really necessary? I mean, that's a lot of dog bites!
While Mr Drake says he understands the frustration from the farming community, microchipping only has to be done once in a new dog's lifetime.
If that is so, why then do dog owner have to 'register' their dogs each year, if they are microchipped??
Contractors have been told not to be "over the top" in enforcement, he says.
"From a council's point of view we can't disobey the law...but they're not going to be seeking out dogs that need to be microchipped. "They're not going to be knocking on farmers' doors and asking if they have a new dog that needs to be microchipped."
but that will give council a great excuse to 'visit' those farmers.
Mr Fowler says microchipping will not stop a dog from biting but will eventually make it easier for the council to identify dogs.
so??
However the system will take up to 20 years to be put in place, as current dogs die out, he says.
The Whangarei District has 9500 registered dogs and anywhere between 3000 to 6000 unregistered dogs. Parliament is still debating whether to exclude working dogs or remove the need for microchipping altogether
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