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The City of Whyalla will be running another $10 microchipping day on Saturday this weekend.
This is the last cheap microchipping day before the new dog and cat laws come into effect on Sunday (July 1).
Council will be offering $10 microchipping for dogs and cats, or any other animals you’d like to keep safe, on Saturday, June 30 from 10am to 2pm at the dog park on Searle Street and McLennan Avenue.
No appointment is necessary and EFTPOS is available. Importantly, however, you need to have your dogs on a leash and your cats in carriers.
You'll need to be quick as well, we've only got about 160 chips left. So, it is first in, first chipped.
From Sunday all dogs and cats must be microchipped. Dogs and cats must also be registered and expiation notices can be issued to owners who fail to register or microchip their dog or cat.
Microchipping is a quick, safe and painless way for animals to be permanently identified and recorded under their owner’s name and contact details. It is a rice-grain sized chip inserted in the back of the animal’s neck that can be scanned by a vet or council official to retrieve the owner’s information.
“For people who love their animals, this is the very best way to keep them safe,” council senior compliance officer Rachel Coles said.
“If your dog or cat gets out and gets lost, it is so much easier for the animal to be returned if it is microchipped.
“A council officer picking up the animal can scan it to obtain the owner’s information so they can be contacted to have their pet returned.”
Microchipping can cost up to $55 with a vet or is normally $30 through the council, making the $10 microchipping day a “must” for every pet owner if their pets aren't already “chipped”.
New animal laws being brought in on Sunday will include compulsory desexing of all dogs and cats born from that day with all persons wishing to breed requiring to be registered breeders. Heavy fines will apply for people keeping dogs and cats that are not desexed if they are not registered breeders.
All dogs will be required to be desexed by six months and there’s exemptions for working livestock dogs.
For more information on animal management in Whyalla go to http://www.whyalla.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=805 or check out our "12 things you need to know" stories:
http://www.whyalla.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=1009&c=56336
http://www.whyalla.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=1009&c=56183