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Dogs in England must be microchipped by 2016
The Environment Department hopes the new law will help reunite owners with pets, relieve the burden on animal charities and promote responsible dog ownership.
Fri, Feb 08 2013 at 9:12 AM
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Photo: Alessio Mesiano/flickr
All dogs in England must be microchipped by April 6, 2016, or their owners will face a fine of up to $800, according to a new law.
Britain’s Environment Department is mandating microchipping to help reunite owners with pets, relieve the burden on animal charities and protect the welfare of dogs by promoting responsible ownership.
Stray animals currently cost British taxpayers and charities nearly $80 million a year.
"It's a shame that in a nation of dog lovers, thousands of dogs are roaming the streets or stuck in kennels because the owner cannot be tracked down," Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said in a statement. "Microchipping is a simple solution that gives peace of mind to owners."
About 60 percent of Britain’s 8 million pets — including dogs, cats and rabbits — already have microchips, which can be scanned and matched to their owners’ details.
Microchips will remain optional for cats because they generally spend less time outdoors, according to an Environment Department spokeswoman. Horse owners have had to chip their animals since 2009.
Dogs Trust, the U.K.’s largest dog welfare charity, is offering free micrcoships to all dogs at all of its 18 locations.
Learn more about Britain’s new microchipping law in the video below.
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What I wonder about is related to the one dog in the video--found with a chip--but the owners could no longer care for the dog. I know that there is a big surrendering fee here for dogs (and of course, penalties for allowing your dog to stray) Will it increase the number of people jailed and fined when they are already down on their luck?
Here (in the US) it would be easy since all pets are required rabies shots. I assume the UK has the same requirement.
However, they're not always reliable. My dog had her chip put in when she was a puppy and now it's lost! She's not overly fat or every been in a dogfight, but the scanners in two different vets cannot find the chip. For us it was an expensive waste. :(
The other thing that isn't reliable is people keeping the information up-to-date. I know my mother hasn't the vaguest idea how to update the information on her dog's chip.