The identification of domestic carnivores is compulsory to travel abroad, to export/import animals, to sell/give a cat or a dog, as well as for exhibitions, working trials and sports competitions. This is ruled by the law of January 6, 1999.
Until a few months ago, the only way of identifying an animal was a tattoo, which is now made of 7 numbers, in a central list which is managed by in France by the Société Centrale Canine, Canine Central Society.A new way of identification has been used for a few months in France and a few years in the rest of Europe: the electronic chip, also called transponder.
The transponder is made of a pre-programmed chip, under the form of a unique 15 number code associated to a condenser and an aerial. The whole set is enveloped within a waterproof capsule made of glass, inert and biocompatible, so as to prevent possible rejections. The other half of the set is made of a chip-reader, compatible with the FDX and HDX technologies. There are today 5 labs in France, which have been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and which manufacture equipments in accordance with the European norms Iso 11784 and 11785.However, electronic identification does not replace tattooing in France. There is currently no homogenisation measure between the national legislation and the Community legislation. To be apt to be exchanged within the European Community (apart from The United Kingdom and Eire,) cats and dogs must fulfil the 90/425 CEE and 92/65 CEE directives, plus the following:
If they are animals older than 3 months: at the day of transportation, the animals must show no sign of illness, they must be tattooed or microchipped, they must be vaccinated against rabies (and distemper for dogs) and they must possess an individual passport and a certificate of good health.
If they are animals under 3 months of age: at the day of transportation, they must show no sign of illness, they must possess a passport and a certificate of good health, they must come from an exploitation under no restriction, they must be born on the original exploitation and have been maintained at the same place since their birth.
Once they are on the French territory, the presence of a transponder does not mean that the animal need not be tattooed to be sold or given.
To conclude, one can say that electronic identification is the identification of the future. It is up to everyone involved in the cats and dogs world, events organisers, breeders, veterinarians, officials, to help things getting better.
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