Wellington SPCA have re-launched its 'Snip n Chip' campaign in Hutt Valley, where residents can get pets chipped and fixed for no more than $9, to prevent animals from being neglected.
Chief executive Andrea Midgen told Newshub she can't stress enough the importance of getting animals chipped.
"At the moment that's not bad with dogs," she says. "The return rate's quite high at about 40 percent.
"But with cats there's so few that have been microchipped - it's down around the 2 to 4 percent mark - that get returned to their owner, which is pretty sad."
Ms Midgen hopes the campaign will educate the public on how it benefits the animal's welfare.
"While some cultures are against the desexing procedure, it actually is better for the animal and also better for humans because you're not having that extra cost of unwanted litters and what you are going to do with them."
Ms Midgen says the price is just a fraction of the cost, with some procedures costing up to $500 for some dogs.
Newshub.
