The first I heard about it was when I went to take Teddy for his final injections last year. The vet said we had two options; either microchip him now or at some point before 6th April 2016. Having never chosen to microchip our previous dogs we were a little apprehensive but decided to get it done there and then so it was out the way.
From 6th April, all dogs in the UK over the age of eight weeks must be microchipped and registered on an authorised database. Its hoped that in introducing this regulation, it will help to tackle irresponsible dog ownership.
One of the intentions of the legislation is that dogs coming from puppy farms and other unregulated animal breeding will also be traceable under the law.
Often, you hear of dogs being stolen and it is hoped that microchipping will help in ownership disputes and quicken the process of reuniting dogs with their real owners.
All dog owners must ensure their dog is fitted with a microchip - the size of a grain of rice - before this date. The microchips will contain a range of data including; contact details of the current keeper, a description of the dog, and unique ID numbers.Unfortunately in this case, there is no exemptions for older dogs, however there are two occasions where the regulations have exceptions:
- Should the vet think that microchipping would adversely affect the dogs health, an exemption certificate can be issued.
- Certified working dogs with docked tails do not have to be chipped until they are 12 weeks old, in line with the existing legislation.
Generally, microchipping costs around £15-£40 when carried out by a vet, however someone that has been on an approved training course can also carry out the microchipping - but please ensure they have the relevant qualifications.
If a dog is found not to have a microchip or any details on his existing chip is incorrect, you will be given 21 days to comply with a legal notice before receiving a £500 fine. Beyond this time, authorities will have the power to seize a dog and chip it at the owners expense.
So, what do you think? Do you agree with this new legislation and think it will help to combat irresponsible dog ownership, or do you think it's just a waste of time and money?
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