Registration and other Documentation |
WHY REGISTER? |
| In the Toy and Mini Aussie world, it is common for us to love our dogs like they are our children. You often hear people refer to them as fur children, fur kids, our baby, etc. However, the law views them as personal property or livestock, depending on the State. There are a number of cases where having your dog registered, microchipped, and licensed (when it applies by the area you live in), can mean the difference in getting your dog back in the case of lost, stolen, divorce or break ups. |
| Remember that in the eyes of the law documentation trumps emotion |
| A House is not a Home without a Toy or Mini Aussie. |
| How do you prove your beloved Aussie is really yours? |
| What happens to your Toy or Mini Aussie when you and your significant other split up? What happens if your dog is stolen & you know where it is but the people who found the dog refuse to return it? What if your Toy or Miniature Australian Shepherd gets loose and ends up in a pound or shelter? |
Registration |
| ~ First step ~ Your registration certificate is your proof of ownership. It is often the document considered when involved with a divorce or break up, lost or stolen pets, and in state and local pet ordinance disputes (when a nasty neighbor calls animal control). This document will stand up in a court of law. It has been tested in several states and when it comes to "he said, she said" cases the name on the registration certificate generally wins. Registering your Toy or Mini Aussie is the first step in responsible pet ownership. If you purchased your Toy or Mini Aussie with a registration application that you have not sent in, now is the time to take care of that. |
Micro Chip |
| ~ Second step ~ Is your dog microchipped? Did you follow up to make sure the chip is registered to you? All to often this step is overlooked. So if your dog ends up in the local pound or rescue, how do they know who to call? Here is the process ~ The pound scans your Toy or Mini Aussie and finds a microchip. They contact the manufacturer of the microchip. The manufacturer looks at the microchip number up to see who it is registered to. If you didn't register the chip in your name, the company calls whoever purchased the box of chips that the chip number was in. Let's say that box of chips was sold to a company that re-sales them such as to your Veterinarian or another organization. If they kept good records, they might be able to find the breeder that bought that box of chips. So now your down to the breeder, who may or may not know what microchip went in what puppy. If they do, then they have to research their own records to find the original purchaser of your dog. All of these steps take precious time! It can be too late by the time someone contacts you to tell you where your Toy or Mini Aussie is. With most pounds, your dog has 3 days to be claimed before they are placed up for adoption or destroyed. If your dog was microchipped and you have not registered that chip in your name, please do so today. |
Local Licenses |
| ~ Third Step ~ Are you required to have a State and/or local license for your dog? Not licensing your dog can result in your dogs' death. Not only is your dog license a way for the animal control officer to contact you, but it also proves you own your dog. Again, in a court of law, this document can mean the difference in whether you get to take your Toy or Mini Aussie home. |
Vaccination Records |
| ~ Fourth step ~ All though many owners of Australian Shepherds live out in the country, they are not required to license their dogs. You can still have that layer of protection by keeping your Rabies vaccinations current. If your dog is picked up, most animal control officers will contact the State Veterinary office as they have a record of the number stamped into the rabies tag. So, be careful who's name is on your dogs' record at your Veterinary office. |
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