As of the 6th of April 2016 microchipping will now become compulsory in Scotland, England and Wales. Any dog over the age of eight weeks will be legally required to be microchipped and registered to an approved database.
It is up to the breeder to microchip the dog and for each subsequent new owner to ensure the details have been changed are up-to-date. If your dog isn’t microchipped and / or registered on an approved database then you could be served with a notice ordering you to microchip your dog. You’ll have 21 days to do so or you may be liable to pay a £500 fine and could face criminal prosecution.
To raise awareness of the changes Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, brought its larger than life mascot ‘Dogcilla’ to meet MPs in Westminster following a 145,942 mile cross-country tour to raise awareness of the changes.
Microchipping your pet gives them the best chance of being identified and returned to you if they become lost or stolen. These changes will only apply to dogs however many pets can be microchipped including cats, dogs, rabbits and horses.
Ronnie Cowan MP 