A reminder that microchipping is compulsory from April 2016!

[Lockheart]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21345730

Just in case anyone hasn't had theirs done. It applies to every dog, both old and new :) and don't forget to update your details if you move house / change vet!

I hadn't realised it was being made law that dogs must be microchipped (mine were done as pups several years ago) but I think it's a good thing - hopefully it might lead to fewer strays and lost / abandoned animals. Although I suppose if you're the kind of person who'd abandon a dog you probably wouldn't be the kind of person to get it microchipped anyway... Time will tell!

To add (I've written this on threads before) get your vet to check your pets chip at every appointment, it's not unheard of for them move or stop reading

I got my pup done today

Obviously all dogs should be chipped but I do wonder how exactly this is going to be enforced and by whom.

Responsible owners will comply, most would have it done anyway I imagine.

So yes, it will be very good that more dog will probably be reunited with their owners when they get lost but it won't help trace the owners of badly treated abandoned dogs in order to prosecute them; because as you say OP, the abusers aren't going to bother chipping their dogs.

Good idea, but pretty much unenforceable I suspect. As you say, time will tell.

YY Bernard - one of my dogs chips had slipped down into his front right leg! We did find it eventually though. My vet always checks the chip at every annual checkup but I appreciate not every vet will do so.

pigs yes I suspect that will be the problem with it; the majority of responsible owners will already have their pets chipped. But it's a step in the right direction. Will be interesting to see if it makes a difference or not.

My two are rescues and already chipped, one dog's chip is registered to us the other dog is registered to the charity that rehomed him from, when we got him last year they did say they would let us know what was happening (the were hoping to dual register their dogs) but we've heard nothing yet.

No they don't all do it (I had to ask my last vet). It may change under the new laws though? Did they insert another in the correct place?

I suppose if a strays owner can't be traced the hope is it will be from a reputable breeder who's details will be on the chip so it at least has somewhere to go?

Sadly I think there will always be some unchipped dogs though because of unscrupulous backyard breeders & puppy farmers who then sell on to folks who don't give a damn