All dogs in England are to be microchipped by 2016

Under new plans dog owners will have to have their animals microchipped or they could face fines

17:04 06 February 2013

New plans to have every dog in England microchipped by April 2016have been announced in a bid to help alleviate the number of stray dogs in the country. The change will come as part of the Animal Welfare Act, and those people who fail to have their dogs microchipped could face fines of up to £500.

 

The news comes after figures were revealed by the Government which stated that at least 100,000 dogs are dumped or lost every year. This is believed to cost local authorities and animal charities around £57million.

 

The idea is that dogs can then be reunited with their owners and this will help avoid effects on  councils and animal charities when it comes to dogs in England.

 

The chip itself is a small device that is inserted between the shoulder blades of a dog and contains information on an animal’s owner; this being their contact details. The process of fitting a microchip is not thought to involve much pain for the dog.

 

Many pet owners already have their animals microchipped, and with dogs it is a way for an owner to better locate their animal if they go missing.

 

Some animal charities microchip animals for free, and if an individual was to visit a private vet clinic with their dog to get the microchip put in place, it would cost them approximately £20 to £30.

 

The procedure of microchipping became compulsory in Northern Ireland last year, and Wales were also considering plans with regards to microchipping in 2012.