The Companion Animals Act provides an exemption from microchipping and registration for working dogs which is defined in the Act.

Section 3 states in part

“working dog” means a dog used primarily for the purpose of droving, tending, working or protecting stock, and includes a dog being trained as a working dog.

If your dog’s primary use is for stock management there is no requirement under the Act to microchip and register the dog. However, Council still recommends that these dogs be microchipped (so that if your dog is lost it may be scanned and returned to you) although there is no requirement to do so.

Rural dogs
There is no exemption from microchipping and registration for rural dogs. Rural dogs that do not fit the working dog definition must be microchipped and registered.

The owner of the animal is guilty of an offence if these requirements are not complied with.