Please note: this is an archived news article release

This article was published on Wednesday, 8 July, 2020. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

Animal identification legislation changes

The law currently requires any person who advertises the sale or giving away of dogs and cats, including puppies and kittens, to include a Pet Exchange Register source number on their advertisement, along with the animal’s microchip number.

This applies to registered domestic breeding animal businesses, shelters, pounds, pet shops, recreational breeders, micro breeders and any person or organisation who advertises dogs, cats, puppies and kittens for sale, or to give away.

From 1 July 2020, the Pet Exchange Register source number of the breeder of any dog or cat, or the source number of the council pound, animal shelter, pet shop or foster carer that owns the animal will be required when implanting a microchip into a dog or cat born after that date.

The source number will form part of a cat or dogs’ prescribed identifying information. An authorised implanter must collect and include a source number as part of the microchip registration form for all dogs and cats born from 1 July 2020. A failure to do so may incur penalties under the Domestic Animals Regulations 2015.

While owner details on a microchip record may change over time, the recorded source number will remain the same for the life of the animal.

Victorian licensed microchip registries will update their microchip registration forms and electronic data collection to ensure all prescribed identifying information, including source number, are collected as of 1 July 2020.

For more information head to the Agriculture Victoria website.