30/09/2009 New scheme to be phased in gradually

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Dog owners will face new responsibilities once a new law has been passed that requires dog owners to have their pet’s micro chipped. The micro chips will cost approximately £10 which will include vet fees and the chip itself. The chip is roughly the size of a grain of rice and will be inserted into the dog’s neck area or behind an ear. It is a painless procedure and each chip will contain information on the dogs name, its address and health record.

The idea behind the scheme is to prevent owners just dumping their pets on rescue centres, a practice that has seen an 11% increase since the start of the recession. The problem of vicious dogs committing attacks on people or other animals without their owners being held responsible is one of the reasons for implementing the change along with the fact that more than a third of stray dogs are reunited with their owners if they have been micro chipped.

The rise in the number of dog nappings or dog stealing has been causing concern and the insertion of a micro chip will help owners recover their pets. The data will be held on a national data base with access to local councils. The scheme will be phased in gradually to give owners time to respond

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