Trixies Pet Behaviour & Training

From 6th April 2016 all dogs in the UK must be micro-chipped with the owner’s details and placed on an approved database.
Every year 100,000 dogs are abandoned which costs the tax payer and animal welfare charities 57 million pounds, some dogs are reunited with their owners, some are re-homed but many are also put to sleep. Many people already voluntarily have their pet micro-chipped, but from 6th April 2016 it will become compulsory to do so, if not already done a notice will be served on dog owners to comply within 21 days, and if not carried out they risk a £500 fine.
All new puppies must be chipped and details put on a national database by 8 weeks old.
A micro-chip has a unique code with the details of owner registered on a national database so that in the event of loss or a pet being stolen, a scanner can be used to identify the owner’s details.
When moving house or changing telephone numbers, the owner needs to remember to contact the database to change the details.
The Animal Welfare Act is expected to be amended to include compulsory micro-chipping.
At present it is not compulsory to chip cats, but it is advisable, so that lost or stolen pets can be reunited with their owner. If owners have a problem with strange cats trying to enter their cat door, it is possible to buy a door which can be programmed with you pet’s chip detail so that only they are able to enter the door.