03/24/11 Mandatory Microchipping Of All Dogs
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development and Animal Friends invite to the mandatory microchipping of all dogs
- Until June 13 a special price for vaccinating and microchipping dogs!
The Rule Book on the Marking of Dogs sets down mandatory microchipping of all dogs, regardless of their age, until June 13, 2011 at the latest.
In order to encourage the citizens of Croatia to respect the legal regulations and to have all dogs in the country microchipped as soon as possible, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development has prolonged the action in which vaccination and microchipping are cheaper if done at the same time.
If you bring your dog to the vet's until June 13, 2011 for vaccination and microchipping, the total price for both procedures will be 189.54 kuna. For those who have had their dogs vaccinated without microchipping, the price of microchipping alone will be 90.74 kuna. After June 13, all dog guardians who have not microchipped their dogs may be fined between 2,000 and 6,000 kuna. Therefore, everyone is invited to take their dogs to the vet's and have them microchipped as soon as possible.
Microchip is a tiny oval capsule, size of a rice grain. It is made of stabile, durable material that is completely harmless for the dog. It is inserted under the dog’s skin with the help of a special sterile applicator, and the procedure is virtually painless. The microchip contains a unique identification number, which can be read only with special reading equipment, owned by all veterinary offices. When the reader is run above the spot on the dog’s skin where the microchip has been placed, it will indicate the ID number on the screen.
Microchipping can be done in all veterinary clinics and offices. The data about the dog's guardian, who must be older than 18, will be added to a protected database that is unique for the entire territory of Croatia. The identification number reveals the data about the dog's guardian (address, telephone number, ID number, etc.) as well as the basic information about the animal, such as the dates of spaying/neutering, vaccination, etc. If the dog is lost or abandoned, the persons working at an animal shelter or veterinary clinic will be authorized to read the dog’s identification number and find out the guardian's identity.
Microchipping is done only once. In case the dog guardian changes, the data base will be changed accordingly, yet preserving the data of all the former guardians. Therefore, it is important that the veterinarians should be informed on every change of the data.
Collars and badges that dogs carry around their necks can be easily removed, making it impossible to discover the dog's identity. Therefore, microchipping is extremely important in tracking the guardians of lost or abandoned dogs. It also prevents uncontrolled propagation of animals and is particularly useful in animal shelters, since microchipped dogs can be immediately returned to their guardians. It is always possible to identify the guardian of a microchipped animal, which may prevent some individuals from abandoning their animal, given the fact that abandoning a companion animal is fined with up to 15,000 kuna.
