Microchipping
Every dog owner in England will have to microchip their animal from 2016 under plans intended to cut a rise in strays.
The microchips will be coded with owners' details, and owners who do not comply could face fines of up to £500.
The change in the law will be effective from 6 April 2016. Any owner whose dog is found without a chip and can be traced by local authorities will have a short period of time to have the dog microchipped.
Laws governing dog attacks will also be extended to cover private property, closing a loophole which has meant that dog owners whose animals have attacked people on private property are immune from prosecution.
What is microchipping?
Microchipping is a simple safe and quick procedure. It can make all the difference in being reunited with your pet should they stray or go missing.
The microchip is the size of a grain of rice and the procedure, which is carried out by a vet or trained microchip implanter, takes only a few minutes and lasts a lifetime.
How does a microchip help to reunite a lost pet with their owner?
Once your pet is microchipped, you and your pet's details are stored in a microchip database along with the microchip's unique 15 digit code.
When a missing pet is found, an animal professional (for example a vet or dog warden) will scan the pet revealing the microchip's unique 15 digit code, and contact the microchip database your pet is registered with. The customer care staff will perform some security checks before releasing your contact details to the animal professional - so that your pet can be reunited with you.
Find out more about microchips and microchipping by visiting the Petlog FAQs page.