Worldwide Use
Microchips are not yet universal, but they are legally required in some jurisdictions such as the state of New South Wales, Australia. Some countries, such as Japan, require ISO-compliant microchips or a compatible reader on imported dogs and cats.
In New Zealand, all dogs first registered after 1 July 2006 must be microchipped. Farmers protested that farm dogs should be exempt, drawing a parallel to the Dog Tax War of 1898. Farm dogs were exempted from microchipping in an amendment to the legislation passed in June 2006. A National Animal Identification and Tracing scheme in New Zealand is currently being developed for tracking livestock.
In April 2012 Northern Ireland became the first part of the United Kingdom to require microchipping of individually licenced dogs.
Australia has a National Livestock Identification System.
The United States uses the National Animal Identification System for farm and ranch animals other than dogs and cats. In most species except horses, an external eartag is typically used in lieu of an implant microchip. Eartags with microchips or simply stamped with a visible number can be used. Both use ISO 15 digit microchip numbers with the U.S. country code of 840.
Read more about this topic: Microchip Implant (animal)