Dog owners urged to microchip their dog and check the chip details are up to date on 1st anniversary of Compulsory Microchipping law.

One year on from the introduction of this important law for dog welfare, 89%* of dogs in the West Midlands are now fitted with a microchip, meaning they can be reunited with their families if they are lost or stolen. However, owners the West Midlands are being urged to microchip their dog if they haven’t already and keep the details up to date to ensure they can be reunited should they become lost.

Dogs Trust statistics show that 1,693** strays were reunited with their owners in 2015-2016; however, owners who don’t update their details risk the very real possibility of being permanently separated from their beloved family pet. 10%** of the 6,667 stray and abandoned dogs that remained unclaimed in local authority kennels in West Midlands last year, couldn’t be reunited with their owners simply because they didn’t have up-to-date microchip details.

Whilst more needs to be done to target the minority of dog owners falling foul of the law, the legislation has overall been a positive influence over the past 12 months. Local councils across the UK have issued 2,751 enforcement notices to owners since the legislation came into force – 1,464 for dogs that aren’t chipped and 1,287 for owners whose details are incorrect on the microchip database. The average fine issued to dog owners was £340, with the maximum penalty recorded as £500. It’s estimated that fines will total around £73,000 over the next five years.

What you need to know;

·      As of 6th April 2016, all dogs over the age of 8 weeks must be microchipped.

·      Under the Control of Dogs Order 1992, all dogs must wear a collar and identity tag in a public place. The tag must show the owner's name and address.

·     Anyone breeding a puppy for sale, is required to microchip the dog at the age of 8 weeks, and register their details to the microchip before the sale.

·      The owner of the puppy must then update the details on the database once they take ownership.

·      Anyone buying a puppy should be aware that the puppy should be microchipped and the microchip should be registered to the breeder

·      The only dogs that shouldn’t be chipped are those with a vet issued Defra exemption form