PETstock is having a microchip blitz at its Altona North store on November 19 and 20, charging a $10 flat fee to microchip cats, dogs and small furry animals.
National project manager Christine Robertson said up to 90 per cent of cats were not microchipped when they became lost.
“The average price of microchipping at a vet costs around $50 to $75, excluding consultation fees,” she said.
“Sadly, we’re only seeing around seven per cent of lost cats reunited with their owners, with 30 per cent killed and the remainder having to be re-homed.
“The trauma that pets and families go through in these scenarios is certainly avoidable and one of the biggest reasons we’re undertaking this blitz.”
Victorian law requires cats and dogs to be microchipped as a condition of registration. Ninety-four per cent of cats and 39 per cent of dogs picked up by Hobsons Bay rangers are unregistered, though, making the task of reuniting owners with lost pets almost impossible.
Previously, lost cats and dogs were impounded at the Lost Dogs Home in North Melbourne, where about 63 per cent of cats and seven per cent of dogs handed in from Hobsons Bay were euthanased.
Bookings are essential for PETstock’s microchip blitz.
To register, visit petstock.com.au
