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2013-02-06 11:19:58
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.
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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.