Community
22 April, 2021
Get your furry friend microchipped for $20
CAT and dog owners can have their furry friend microchipped for just $20 at three dedicated microchipping days across the city in May and June.
Free microchips are also on offer for pet owners with a previously unregistered dog, who register them on the day.
The pet-identifying chip is being offered at a fraction of the normal price to help address the large number of lost animals being picked up by Animal Management Officers in Cairns.
Microchips, about the size of a grain of rice, are implanted by qualified veterinary professionals, normally between the pet’s shoulder blades.
They can then be scanned by Council officers and vets, to reveal the pet’s details and contact information for the owner.
Division Eight Councillor Rhonda Coghlan recently adopted her dog Jeffery, who had a stint in the pound and then went to a rescue organisation after being found with no chip or tag.
Jeffery now has the right kind of “chip on his shoulder” and Cr Coghlan encouraged all other pet owners to take up the offer.
“While owners should all take steps to stop their pet escaping, we know it still happens. Each year we care for more than 600 cats and 1200 dogs at our pound,” said Cr Coghlan.
“We know many more lost pets are looked after by caring members of the community who take them to local vets or use social media to track down the owner.”
Council recently approved plans for a new $7.3 million animal management facility which will be more than double the capacity of the existing facility for lost pets, but Cr Coghlan said prevention was the best solution.
“Microchipping is quick and painless. And at just $20, is a very effective way to keep your pet safe,” she said.
“If your pet is picked up by our Animal Management officers, it will be scanned for its details and brought straight home instead of going to the pound, and you won’t have to pay to get it back.
“We wouldn’t need a pound if everyone micro-chipped their pets.”
As well as a microchip, pet owners should have their registration tag and a name tag with a contact phone number on their pet’s collar, so anyone who finds their missing pet can get in touch.
Dog and cat registration is compulsory in Cairns, but Council staff won’t be checking on the day.
Microchipping days will be held between 9.30am and 1.30pm at the following
locations:
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May 15 – Cannon Park, Woree (dogs and cats)
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May 29 – Ravizza Park, Edmonton (dogs only)
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June 12 – Smithfield Library grounds (dogs only)
For safety reasons, cat owners must attend the Cannon Park event, where there’s suitable facilities to prevent them getting loose.
Pet owners are encouraged to pre-register for the microchipping day of their choice at cairns.qld.gov.au/pets. Completing paperwork in advance will streamline the microchip registration process, saving you time on the day.
It will also allow Council to arrange a suitable number of implanters to keep queues at a minimum.
Anyone attending a microchipping day is responsible for their pet’s behaviour so have your dog on a lead and cat in a carrier, and don’t forget to ‘scoop the poop’.
