New Zealand and microchips in dogs.

[Eugene]

Heard on a radio program that all dogs in New Zealand had to have microchips even farm dogs. What is the background and rational for microchips in all dogs in New Zealand?

USA is currently discussing microchips, or other individual animal identification for animals destined to be part of the food chain. Pet owners can have identification chips implanted but there is no manitatory requirement to do so.

Curious.

Eugene

[Patbretagne]

Don't know too much about the subject, but to take a dog from Europe to England (rabies free) the dog has to be microchipped then have a rabies set of jabs, wait 6 months, have a rabies check and booster, passport issued, he can then travel, otherwise it is 6 months in a quarantine kennel at exorbitant price.
A lot of people here in Fr chip their dog as there is a lot of dog-napping in the larger towns.
All dogs here should, I say should, be tatoed in one ear with a code that can be consulted on a national basis through a database, Our dog 'Difa' is 2CUP161, If we had known that before we bought her she would have been called 'Mrs Two Cup' , but the decision 'Difa Dog' had to stand.
If you ask what does it mean, just say it outloud, Di For Dog!
Pat

[Eugene]

I thought that one of the New Zealanders would provide the answer.

I shipped the family german shepard from Germany to the US then from the US to Panama and then back to the US. The only quarantine was two weeks in Panama. But, I did have all of the vet records.

Eugene

[Patbretagne]

The quarantine laws of the UK are very very stringent. They are trying to keep the island Rabies free. I believe that the greatest worry to the UK authorities is the Channel Tunnel and rats possible access from the unclean mainland of Europe into the clean UK. There are rat-traps of fearful eficacity down there, how the system works I am not sure.
it's 6 months with or without vets papers for any poor dog trying to set up residence in UK at very high cost.
Chipping only came in 18 months ago wqith all the attendant palava.

[W6NZ]

The microchipping of all dogs is a knee jerk reaction from the government because some of the city dogs have been attacking kids . The dogs are mostly the bull terriers etc, known for fighting, the farmers are causing a bit of an up roar and rightly so, farm dogs do not come to town and wander the streets or parks. On the bigger farms and stations its nothing for an owner to have 12 or more working dogs.
Some of the other dogs that are usually mild mannered were put down, it was not the dog's fault, kids are allowed to go up to these dogs and annoy hell out of them, you can't blame a dog for reacting.