Dissent from farmers over dog chipping

Wairarapa Federated Farmers want farmers to be able to microchip their own dogs.

Under the new Dog Control Amendment Act all newly registered dogs from July 2006 will have to be microchipped.

Wairarapa Federated Farmers president Jim Weston said the cost was likely to be about $80 a dog if it was done by a vet, and, since shepherds had up to 12 dogs, the total cost could be substantial.

But it could be cheaper if farmers were allowed to do it themselves or if district council officers were responsible for microchipping, Mr Weston said.

Wairarapa SPCA president Val Ball said she believed that, with appropriate training, non-vets could perform the procedure.