The Tasman District Council is to offer free microchipping of all dogs registered in the district.
The council said the clinics, to be held next month, would curb costs from stray dogs it became responsible for. Many of the dogs it was responsible for had to be destroyed if the owner couldn't be found.
The council's animal control officer John Bergman said it could cost up to $40 for a vet to microchip a dog, and it was the best tool he had seen in his 41 years in dog control.
The programme will cost about $6 per animal, the district council said.