Companion Animals NZ update David Lloyd, General
Manager, CANZ
New Zealand Companion Animals Register (NZCAR) registration is the primary method of companion animal identification in Aotearoa, but what happens if the client presenting an animal is not the registered guardian on the NZCAR? We have been pleased to discuss these situations with NZVA and VCNZ recently. In January, VCNZ posted some guidance on their website under News>Technical Advice (full link here: https://www.vetcouncil.org.nz/Web/ News/Technical_advice/Technical_ advice__Microchipping_minefields. aspx ) The NZCAR allows implanters (that’s you) to transfer an animal from one person to another very easily, but occasionally ‘ownership disputes’ create difficult, time consuming and litigious situations. As owners of the NZ Companion Animal Register, we would like to reaffirm our offer to relieve veterinary staff of these tricky animal transfers. It is important to keep a good working relationship with your client (whether they are the registered guardian or not) and, after all, the contract for microchip registration services lies with NZCAR, rather than your vet clinic.
So, what can NZCAR support staff do with a dispute?
1. If the person in possession is unaware the animal is already registered. In most cases, a client who discovers they possess an animal that is registered to someone else will be agreeable to relinquish the animal, so the original guardian is happily reunited. If they are not, and you have their permission to alert us and share their details, you
Contact: https://www.companionanimals. nz/contact-us34
Monica Rodriguez from Pixabay
can pass the issue to our staff via 0508LOSTPET*. What will we do? a. With the permission of the person in possession of the animal, we will contact the registered guardian. b. If the registered guardian is happy to relinquish NZCAR guardianship to your client, we can do that and make a note as such in the back end of the NZCAR (visible only to NZCAR staff) c. If they refuse to relinquish guardianship, we cannot change the NZCAR record to your client’s name. d. If they demand the animal back, we will not share your client’s details but will mediate between parties. e. If no resolution can be found, we will suggest pursuing a court decision. It is important to remember that animals are ‘property’ by law. While the SPCA and local council officers have power to seize and dispose of or rehome animals under the Animal Welfare Act and Dog Control Act, the courts are the only entity who can determine who ‘owns’ an animal.
f. If we are officially directed to change an animal record by the courts, SPCA or Animal Control Officer we will. For your protection, we recommend that clinic staff do not pursue this course of action. 2. If the person in possession asks us to transfer the animal into their name. Most commonly, we are asked to change the NZCAR listing by someone who is NOT the registered guardian. In these cases, we follow a similar guideline as above. However, we have special protocols if the registered guardian does not respond to phone calls, texts or emails in a reasonable timeframe (this can take up to 3 weeks). We will also contact their secondary contact during this time, so please encourage your clients to add a second contact person to their account. 3. If the registered guardian is deceased. Unfortunately, we have had ownership disputes over animals registered to guardians that have passed away. We have protocols in place to witness death certificates and also have a T&C that states that in the event of a guardian’s death the animal will be transferred to the secondary contact.
Companion Quarterly: Official Newsletter of the Companion Animal Veterinarians Branch of the NZVA | Volume 33 No 1 | March 2022
