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Every dog owner in England will have to microchip their animal by April 2016
under plans aimed at cutting the growing number of strays.
The government says owners who refuse to comply with changes to the Animal
Welfare Act face fines of up to 500.
Tiny microchips, coded with the contact details of owners, will be fitted to
dogs, which can then be traced.
A legal loophole could also be closed, meaning owners could face prosecution if
their dog attacked on private land.
Government figures reveal that more than 100,000 dogs are dumped or lost each
year, at a cost of 57m to the taxpayer and welfare charities.
It hopes the change in the law will help "reunite owners with lost or stolen
pets", thus relieving some of the burden on animal charities and local
authorities.
Updating information
Clarissa Baldwin, chief executive of the Dogs Trust charity, said the scheme
would make "a huge difference".
Most of the 16,000 dogs looked after by the trust each year had not been
microchipped, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"We could get those dogs back to their worried owners if they have a microchip
and are identifiable," she said.
"With a register, kept up to date, people will be able to get their dogs back
far more easily."
But Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today magazine, said the scheme was flawed
because many owners did not keep their information up to date.
Continue reading the main story
What is microchipping?
A small chip, the size of a grain of rice, is inserted between the shoulder
blades of a dog using a sterile needle
The procedure does not require an anaesthetic and is no more painful than a
standard vaccination
The chip is coated in a bio-compatible glass, the same material used in human
pacemakers, which is not rejected by the dog's body
The device fuses to the dog's bodily tissue, meaning it will not move around
"The National Dog Warden Association says 40% of the dogs they pick up that are
chipped have got incomplete or inaccurate data, meaning they can't be
returned," she said.
"People don't know how to update their records. The chip is invisible - once
it's in there people forget it's there. "
The change in the law will be effective from 6 April 2016. Any owner whose dog
is found without a chip and can be traced by local authorities will have a
short period of time to have the dog microchipped.
Fines of up to 500 will be levied by the police against owners who refuse to
comply.
Currently some animal charities such as the Dogs Trust, Blue Cross and
Battersea Dogs and Cats home offer a free microchipping service to owners.
The procedure involves inserting a sterile chip the size of a grain of rice
between a dog's shoulder blades. It costs about 20- 30 at a private veterinary
clinic.
Free microchips, donated by the Dogs Trust, will be circulated to veterinary
clinics, although it is currently unclear whether vets will charge for the
service.
Compulsory microchipping was introduced in Northern Ireland in April 2012.
Similar plans were considered in Wales in 2012, although no formal policy
announcement has yet been made.
The Scottish government has said that, while it recognised the benefits of
microchipping, there was "no evidence compulsory microchipping would
effectively tackle welfare issues".
Fatal attacks
A spokesman added that Holyrood would watch developments in the rest of the UK
and "may consider the matter further in future".
Laws governing dog attacks will also be extended to cover private property,
closing a loophole which has meant that dog owners whose animals have attacked
people on private property are immune from prosecution.
Eight children and six adults have been killed in dog attacks since 2005, with
many of these incidents taking place in the home, figures from the Department
for Environment and Rural Affairs have shown.
In the past 12 months, more than 3,000 postal workers were attacked by
out-of-control dogs, with 70% of these attacks happening on private property.
Householders will however be protected from prosecution if their dog attacks a
burglar or trespasser on their land.