Dog microchipping: how you can avoid a £500 fine

Fido might land you a fine if you don't act before 6th April. Here's why.

All dogs in England, Wales and Scotland aged eight weeks and over must be microchipped from 6th April 2016, thanks to a new law.

There are around 9 million dogs in the UK and up to 1.4 million still need to be microchipped, so it might be time for you to visit the vet. In order to be properly microchipped, a chip must have been implanted into your dog and your details recorded on an approved database.

Microchips have been a legal requirement in Northern Ireland since 2012.

Why?

Basically, microchips help peoplefind the owners of lost dogs quickly, as well as holding irresponsible owners to account.

Almost 120,000 dogs are dumped or lost each year and less than half are reunited with their owners. Local councils and animal welfare charities have to pay £57 million to care for and re-home animals, while almost 7,000 dogs have to be put down every year because no one cares for them.

It also helps to tackle the black market of stolen dogs, which is worth over £100,000 in the UK. 

How it works

The microchip itself is tiny, around the size of a grain of rice. It's implanted under the dog’s skin between its shoulder blades and contains a number that can be read by a scanner. The dog owner’s details are then logged on a database so that they can be scanned by the authorities and returned to the owner quickly and safely.

Due to the minute size of the chip, no anaesthetic is involved and it shouldn’t cause any more discomfort to your dog than standard vaccinations do. If you have a small dog, you can opt for a mini microchip if you’re worried about them.

It's still compulsory for your dog to wear a collar which has your name, address and phone number on it, even if they're microchipped.

What will happen if I don’t microchip my dog?

Owners who are caught out will be issued with an enforcement notice, giving you 21 days to get your pooch chipped.

Failure to comply could land you with a fine of up to £500. Alternatively an enforcer like a dog warden may seize your pet, microchip it and register the details themselves, but you'll still have to cover the bill.

At this point it remains unclear how the new law will be enforced, but it’ll be the responsibility of local authorities and the police to issue the 21 day notices.

Where can I get my dog microchipped?

Dog’s Trust offers free microchipping by appointment at its rehoming centres as well as at various public events throughout the UK. Visit Chip My Dog to find your nearest event. Blue Cross and the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home also offer the service for free, as do some local councils.

Failing that, your local vet can do it for about £20-£30.

It's your responsibility to update your details on the database as you can still be fined if your personal information is no longer correct. You can update it online, by phone or by post, depending on which database your chip is registered to. But be warned, there is a fee to pay every time you amend your contact details on the database.

Check out this list of approved UK microchip databases:

Find out more about dog microchipping at the Dog’s Trust website.

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