Have you had your pet microchipped? You’re probably aware that cats and dogs can be microchipped but this can also extend to rabbits and horses. For dog owners in the UK, it is also set to become a legal requirement.
What is Involved in Microchipping Your Pet?
A small microchip is inserted underneath your pet’s skin, often by a vet but sometimes by another trained professional. This is roughly the size of a grain of rice. The procedure is very quick and painless for your pet, and usually only takes a matter of minutes. Each microchip has its own unique code, which can be scanned. After the microchip has been implanted, your owner details and the microchip’s code will be stored once you have registered your pet with one of the authorised national databases, such as the Petlog database.
You can get your pet microchipped by a vet, and it is also being offered by trained professionals from animal welfare organisations such as the Blue Cross and Dog’s Trust in preparation for compulsory microchipping becoming the law in most of the UK from next year.
Bringing Lost Pets Home
The main benefit of microchipping is the ability to reunite lost pets with their owners. If your pet is lost or stolen and they have been ‘chipped’, their microchip can be scanned to locate your details Assuming that your contact information is kept up-to-date, microchipping is a far superior option to collars with ID tags, which can easily be removed to discard any evidence of ownership. In contrast, microchip technology is permanent and highly effective, as long as you make sure to stay on top of any changes to your details, such as a change of address or phone number.
The Legal Situation for Dog Owners
If you’re a dog owner, microchipping won’t necessarily be a personal choice for too much longer – and is already compulsory in some parts of the UK. Dog owners in Northern Ireland must have their pet microchipped to avoid falling foul of the law and this has been true since 2012. There are plans underway for this to also become the case in England and Wales too.
Dog owners in Wales currently have until spring 2016 to get their pet microchipped and registered.
By April 2016, all dog owners in England and Scotland will also be obliged to have their pet microchipped and registered on a database. This will officially come into force on 6th April 2016. If your dog is older than 8 weeks and is not microchipped and registered by this date, you can expect to be issued with a notice confirming the need to do so and you will have 21 days to get it done. Any failure to comply with this will then incur a £500 fine.
It’s important to realise that microchipping is only half of the legal requirement; you are also obliged to register your pet on one of the authorised databases after they have been microchipped. Failure to do so will mean that your contact details are not stored and it is unlikely that your pet would be returned to you if they are lost or stolen in the future.
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