Who will have access to my registration information?

When you microchip your animal, you will need to complete a form including your address and contact details. This information will then be forwarded to the Companion Animals Register, where details of microchipped animals for the whole of NSW will be kept. All the information held in the Companion Animals Register is protected by privacy legislation. There are also penalties under the Companion Animals Act for unauthorised access or improper use of personal information. Councils no longer hold information about your animal, but instead access the Companion Animals Register when they need information to return an animal to its onwner. Police and councils also have access to the Register for enforcement purposes, such as when they are investigating a dog attack.

If a member of the public picks up your cat or dog, he or she will not be able to gain direct access to information on the Register. It is a legal requirement that anyone who catches a stray or lost animal must return the animal to its owner (if they can be identified) or to their local council pound. The staff at the council pound will be able to scan the microchip so that you can be contacted. If your animal is taken to a vet, there is a 24 hour, 7 days a week Pet Line number which vets can call. The Pet Line will then contact you so that you can contact the vet to collect your animal. The Pet Line is only accessible by persons already authorised to access the Register.

Dogs are required to wear a collar and tag which gives information to allow you to be contacted directly, for example the dog's name and your phone number. Cats are also required to be identified by a collar and tag if they are not microchipped.

© 2008 Palerang Council
This page: http://www.palerang.nsw.gov.au/faqs/pages/1587.html