Free Dog Microchipping Through Vets
With microchipping set to be made compulsory for all dogs in England by April 2016 and Wales by March 2015, and with an estimated 20% of dogs in the UK still unchipped, demand for the procedure is likely to be significant over the coming year according to Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity.
As a result, the charity has launched the Free Microchipping Through Vets campaign to offer all owners the opportunity to microchip their dog free of charge through vet practices.
Dogs Trust is extremely grateful to the 1,500 plus practices who have already joined the campaign and hopes that as many as 75% of the 3,075 vet practices in England and Wales will have signed up in the next few weeks.
The campaign launched on 1st April 2014 and will run for 12 months. During this period Dogs Trust will provide free microchips to all vet practices signed up to the campaign.
To find participating vets in your area, members of the public should call the Microchipping Through Vets hotline on 0330 123 0334.
To join the campaign vet practices should contact Dogs Trust at campaigns@dogstrust.org.uk
Clarissa Baldwin, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, says:
"We are delighted about the proposed new legislation and see it as the start of a very positive movement. From April 2016 in England and March 2015 in Wales it will be compulsory for each and every dog to be microchipped on first change of hands which represents a significant step forward for dog welfare and responsible dog ownership. To show its support for the implementation of this legislation, Dogs Trust is teaming up with vets to make sure that all dog owners can have the procedure done for free. We'd like to say a huge thank you to the vet practices already supporting the campaign and urge others to come on board. An essential element to the success of microchipping is for dog owners to take responsibility for updating their details with the database should their circumstances change."
"Last year 111,986 stray and abandoned dogs were picked up by Local Authorities across the UK, with only 40% reunited with their owners. This initiative will help to reduce that number dramatically."
A microchip is a small electronic chip, around the size of a grain of rice, which is implanted under the dog’s skin and contains a unique number that can be read by a scanner.
The dog owner’s contact details relating to each number are logged on a central database, so should the dog ever go missing or be stolen it can be scanned by the authorities and returned to his owner swiftly and safely. It is vital that the owner takes responsibility for updating their details with the database should their circumstances change.