From 6 April 2016 it will be a legal requirement in England that all dogs by the time they are 8 weeks of age are microchipped and registered with their keepers contact details. All keepers, including breeders, must also ensure that a dog's microchip contact details are kept up to date. Key points that dog owners and breeders must be aware of:
Free Microchipping available at some charities -
Alternatively speak to your local vet, as they will be able to advise you of their charge for micro chipping
Any dog over the age of eight weeks will be legally required to be microchipped and registered to an approved database by 6 April 2016
It is up to the breeder to microchip the dog, and for each subsequent new owner to ensure that the details have been changed are kept up up-to-date. A dog is only exempt from being microchipped if a vet certifies in writing that they cannot be microchipped for health reasons.
If your dog is isn't microchipped and/or registered on an approval database, then you could be served with a notice ordering you to microchip your dog
You will have 21 days to do so and if you fail to get your dog chipped and registered you could be liable to pay a £500 fine and could also face criminal prosecution. If your contact details change and you do not update your details on the database, then you could also receive a notice and may be liable to pay a fine of £500.
You should contact your local vets to arrange for your dog to be microchipped, or a local animal charity
The vet will use a microchip assigned to a specific database such as www.petlog.org.uk or www.anibase.com, and you must ensure that your latest contact details are registered on the database.
The price of microchipping can vary from place to place, some animal charities/organisations like The Dog's Trust or Battersea, offer free microchipping and vets can charge around £20-£30.
Before selling your dog or giving it away to a new owner, you must ensure that it is microchipped.
It is also recommended that you also register the details of the new owner on the database. The new keeper is responsible for ensuring that their contact details are registered and correct.
All dog breeders are responsible for ensuring that the puppies are microchipped before selling them.
Puppies must be microchipped by the time they are eight weeks old. Puppies cannot be sold until they are eight weeks old. Breeders must also register their details on-line, these details will be recorded against the microchip for the life of the dog. The new Regulations state that a person is considered to be a "breeder" if they are the owner of a dog which gives birth, even if they do not they carry on a business as a breeder of dogs.
If your dog is microchipped, you should have a confirmation letter or email including an ID reference number as well as a microchip number
If you know which database your pet is registered on, you can check your details are up-to-date by logging in on-line. You can also contact the database team over the phone.
To find out if your dog is microchipped, or to find out the microchip number, take the dog along to your vet and have him scanned. Once you have the microchip number, you can use a chip checker online to find out who the dog is registered with. http://www.check-a-chip.co.uk/
Microchips are designed to cover the lifespan of the dog, but occasionally they fail to work.
Anyone who finds that an implanted microchip has migrated (moved), failed, or cause an adverse reaction to the dog, must report it to the "microchip adverse event reporting scheme" run by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. https://www.gov.uk/report-veterinary-medicine-problem.
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