New Standards for Microchipping of Horses in Victoria

Permanent Identification of Cats, Dogs and Horses I Permanent Identification Technology I Implantation I Domestic Animal Registries I Frequently Asked Questions - Cats and Dogs I Frequently Asked Questions - Horses I Microchipping of Horses

Please note that a new version of the Domestic (Feral and Nuisance) Animals Act 1994 and the supporting Regulations will commence on 1 September 2009. The changes to the Act were introduced in 2007 in the Animals Legislation Amendment (Animal Care) Act 2007 but had a delayed commencement due to the need to develop supporting regulations.

The Domestic (Feral and Nuisance) Animals Act 1994 will be renamed the Domestic Animals Act 1994 and the Regulations will be renamed the Domestic Animals Regulations 2005. Copies of the legislation can be downloaded from the Domestic Animals Legislation page.

The new legislation introduce a number of new provisions and amendment of existing provisions mainly in relation to the permanent identification (microchipping) of horses. A summary of the key changes is given below:

• horses are now included as a prescribed animal for the purposes of micro-chipping
• only authorised veterinarians can micro-chip horses
• only an approved permanent identification device (micro-chip) can be implanted into a horse (same as dogs and cats)
• prescribes the implantation procedure, including insertion site of the microchip in the horse
• stipulates the information that is required to be obtained by the implanter to aid in the reunification should the animal be displaced from the owner
• requires that the information that links the horse, owner and the micro-chip data must now be placed on a licensed animal registry to insure reunification
• introduces the requirement to scan a horse if it is found wandering at large (and prior to implantation to insure not already owned by another person)