Dog Control Act 1996

Custody of dogs

69A: Impounded dog must be microchipped and registered before release

You could also call this:

"Before you get your impounded dog back, it must be microchipped and registered."

If you have a dog that has been taken in by a territorial authority, it cannot be given back to you unless it has a microchip. The microchip must be the right type and put in the right way. This rule does not apply if your dog has already been microchipped.

If your dog is not registered, it cannot be given back to you unless it is registered and microchipped. The territorial authority can make you pay for the cost of microchipping your dog. You have to pay if you are the owner, or if you are taking the dog.

There are some exceptions to these rules, such as if your dog has already been microchipped or if the territorial authority can verify that it has a microchip. In these cases, your dog does not need to be microchipped again. The territorial authority will check if your dog already has a microchip before they microchip it.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM375446.


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69: Impounding and subsequent disposal of dog, or

"What happens to your dog if it's taken by the authorities and how you can get it back"


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70: Custody of dog removed for barking, or

"What happens to your dog if it's taken away because it was barking too much?"

69AImpounded dog must be microchipped and registered before release

  1. A registered dog that has been impounded by a territorial authority under this Act may not be released to any person (other than for the purposes of destroying it) without first being implanted with a functioning microchip transponder of the prescribed type and in the prescribed manner.

  2. Subsection (1) does not apply to a registered dog that has been impounded by the territorial authority for the first time.

  3. An unregistered dog that has been impounded by a territorial authority under this Act may not be released to any person (other than for the purposes of destroying it) without first being registered under this Act.

  4. An unregistered dog that has been impounded by a territorial authority under this Act may not be released to any person (other than for the purposes of destroying it) without first being implanted with a functioning microchip transponder of the prescribed type and in the prescribed manner.

  5. Subsections (1) and (4) do not apply if,—

  6. as a requirement of this Act, the dog has been previously implanted with a functioning microchip transponder of the prescribed type and in the prescribed location; or
    1. in any other case, the territorial authority has verified that the dog has been implanted with a functioning microchip transponder of the prescribed type and in the prescribed location.
      1. A territorial authority that implants in a dog, or causes a dog to be implanted with, a microchip transponder under this section may recover all the costs in relation to the procedure from—

      2. the owner of the dog; or
        1. the person taking possession of the dog.
          Notes
          • Section 69A: inserted, on , by section 24 of the Dog Control Amendment Act 2004 (2004 No 61).
          • Section 69A(3): brought into force, on , by section 2(3) of the Dog Control Amendment Act 2004 (2004 No 61).
          • Section 69A(6): added (with effect on 1 July 2006), on , by section 23 of the Dog Control Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 23).