Microchipping

This allows Council officers to identify an animal's owner if it is lost or found wandering, and return it safely.

A microchip is a tiny computer chip about the size of a grain of rice. The microchip is injected under the animal's skin, and can be read by a special scanner.

The microchip is inert, has no battery and uses no energy, and will last for the life of the animal. It is injected under the animal's skin between the shoulder blades (or into the nuchal ligament for horses) by an authorised and trained implanter and is a simple procedure, which causes no side effects.

Community Rangers and officers at the Shepparton Animal Shelter use a special scanner to identify the microchip's unique number. The scanner is passed over the animal's skin and does not hurt the animal in any way. Officers then check the animal's unique number on a microchip register which provides details of the animal's owner. If your details are up to date, we are able to contact you to let you know that your animal has been found. Officers do not provide the owners personal details to members of the public.

Where to get your pet microchipped

Only authorised implanters such as registered veterinarians can implant a microchip into your pet. The authorised implanter is then responsible for sending the owners details onto a licenced microchip registry.

Keeping your details up to date

It is important to keep your details up to date at all times so a Community Ranger or the Shepparton Animal Shelter can contact you if your pet is found lost or wandering.

It is also important to change the owner details if you give away, sell or adopt an animal. To update your details, please contact the microchip registry that has your pet's microchip listed. Microchip registry contact details are below:

Microchip registries

There are a number of different microchip registries in Victoria. The most common in the Greater Shepparton City Council area is Central Animal Records (CAR).

See Agriculture Victoria's List of Microchip Registries.

Microchip numbers needed in pet sale advertisements

To allow traceability of sellers of pets, it is an offence under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 to advertise the sale of a dog or cat unless the microchip identification number of the animal is included in the advertisement or notice. A registered domestic animal business may use its Council business registration number as an alternative.

More information is available on Agriculture Victoria's Pet Sale Advertisements page.