With National Microchipping Month just around the corner recent data have highlighted serious concerns that veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons have regarding pet owner's awareness and responsibility in regards to microchipping; 55% of veterinary nurses believe that pet owners are unaware of their responsibility in keeping their pet's microchip details up to date.
Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses also believe that compulsory microchipping of dogs will have a positive impact on the issues relating to speed of reunification, animal welfare, dangerous dogs and puppy farming through accountability and traceability.
Worryingly, in another survey carried out by Petlog, 12% of pet owners believed that a microchip acts as some sort of GPS device and almost half of dog owners were unaware that microchipping is to be made compulsory in England in 2016, highlighting the lack of understanding of how a microchip works and their legal obligation as a dog owner.
So what action needs to be taken to improve awareness of microchipping and what can be done to help?
National Microchipping Month
Almost half of all pets found that are microchipped are still unable to be reunited with their families because their contact information is out of date.
National Microchipping Month takes place in June every year and aims to educate pet owners about the benefits of microchipping and the importance of keeping contact details up to date — something that is becoming increasingly important as the statistics from BSAVA suggest. It provides veterinary practices with an opportunity to engage with pet owners about the subject of microchipping, especially as microchipping for dogs becomes compulsory in 2016.
Many veterinary surgeons see a significant increase in the number of pets being microchipped during the month of June and around 250 000 pet owners checked their contact details during last year's campaign — highlighting the importance the awareness month has for all pets across the UK.
Microchipping market is changing
As microchipping becomes an increasingly popular choice for pet owners for permanent identification and following Westminster's announcement to make microchipping compulsory for dogs in England from April 2016, there has been several changes to the market over the last year.
New microchip suppliers and databases are entering the market and as a result, concerns have been raised about the risk of inexperienced organisations that do not deliver an effective or safe service.
Cheap microchip prices from new entrants into the market could be a warning sign that they are not taking the role of a long-term, reliable database seriously. So when looking for a new microchip supplier, confirm that your microchip supplier uses only ISO identified microchips and works with an established database in the market such as Petlog, Anibase, Avid or Pet Protect who all deliver an effective service to millions of pet owners.
Microchipping around the world
Statistics from a report by the Kennel Club and the European Pet Network (EPN) from 2011 revealed that the percentage of companion animals microchipped varies across Europe. Countries such as Russia, Estonia and Lithuania had the lowest numbers of dogs microchipped and Denmark, Switzerland and Luxembourg had the highest number (Box 1).
Box 1.Dogs microchipped in Europe
- Austria 40%
- Estonia 10%
- France 70%
- Spain 80%
- Belgium had more than 80%
- Luxembourg 90%
- Sweden 90%
- Switzerland 95%
- Denmark 96%
- The UK 40% of dogs
- The Netherlands 70%
- Norway 70%
- Russia 0.1%
- Lithuania 10–15%
Cat figures ranged from 2–15% across the board with an exception in Luxembourg which reported 30% and France 25%.
Both breeders and owners in the report were considered to have the responsibility to ensure their pet is microchipped. The cost of microchipping and registration on a database deviated across the regions. Microchipping costs ranged from €10–€80 and costs for registration on a database ranged from €1–€15.
The overall consensus regarding who is allowed to microchip was predominantly a veterinary surgeon/nurse, with a few countries adding trained breeders, shelter staff and qualified individuals.
Microchipping is already compulsory for dogs in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Estonia and Poland have compulsory microchipping on a local government level.
In Estonia, Spain and Poland some local councils have chosen to implement compulsory microchipping for cats.
There are differences in the exemptions to compulsory microchipping legislation across Europe. For example, it is only compulsory for specific breeds in Ireland or on change of dog ownership in Hungary.
The main enforcers of compulsory microchipping legislation were reported as being mainly local authorities and to a lesser and varying extent, animal welfare organisations, Government departments (i.e. agriculture, health), police and veterinary inspectors.
The penalties associated with not complying with the legislation ranged greatly. For example, Sweden was reported as having no penalties, France has a fine of €150, Estonian local authorities report a local fee, Switzerland has different fees depending on the region, Denmark reported fines between €130–300 and Spain between €300–600.
Reunification is the main benefit
With more than 85% of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses believing speed of reunification is the biggest impact of microchipping and the main benefit to pet owners, reunification is central to the Government's reasoning in making microchipping compulsory for dogs in England (Box 2).
Box 2A missing puppy was recently reunited with her owner after she was stolen from her home in in Great Billington, Bedfordshire in July 2013 aged just 7 months old.Meg, a 1-year-old working Cocker Spaniel was stolen from her kennels on July 2nd last year. Her owner returned home to find two of his other dogs running loose in the garden but Meg was nowhere to be seen. Her owner Rob called the police to report her stolen but nothing was heard of Meg for over 6 months. On January 4th 2014 Rob got a call from a veterinary surgeon in Luton, almost 12 miles away, to say she had been found. She had been picked up by a local builder running around the roads dodging traffic and taken to the vet, who scanned her for a microchip. How Meg spent her 6 months since she was taken will always be a mystery. Meg is now home with her owner's five other working Cocker Spaniels, thanks to her microchip and the microchip database that she was registered with.
For more information visit www.nationalmicrochippingmonth.org.uk to receive a free vet pack.
The role of the veterinary nurse
During National Microchipping Month veterinary nurses can facilitate discussions and answer any questions or concerns pet owners have regarding microchipping. The free veterinary packs include posters and flyers that they can be handed out in practices. In order to help with reunification veterinary nurses can also register as authorised agents in order to reunite any lost or stolen animals that are microchipped.
Introduction of compulsory microchipping — what it means to the Blue CrossEvery year the Blue Cross takes in over 8000 pets at their rehoming centres across the country — sadly more than half of them are not microchipped. Many of the pets that come as strays may have loving homes, but without a microchip containing vital contact details it is impossible to reunite them with owners who could be desperately missing them. Many other lost and straying dogs sadly don't even make it to rescue centres. Instead they end their days at local authority dog kennels when their owners cannot be traced.Saving more lives is just one of the reasons why the Blue Cross welcome the government's introduction of compulsory permanent identification of dogs by microchip. This is following a sustained campaign by Blue Cross, other charities, trade unions and veterinary organisations. The legal requirement to ‘chip your dog’ will undoubtedly improve animal welfare and reinforce the principles of responsible dog ownership. The very act of chipping will provide for a key intervention to discuss issues such as training, neutering and the law.Enforcers will also be able to scan straying dogs and those reported for dangerous or out of control behaviour and identify those individuals responsible for the dog.The introduction of compulsory microchipping (from the first time a puppy changes hands) will also allow dogs to be traced back to the breeder. This will allow a level of visibility that has not existed before and could highlight bad practices — such as poor welfare conditions on puppy farms.The microchipping of dogs becomes compulsory in 2016. Before that point owners can make sure that they are ready by taking advantage of free microchipping offered at all Blue Cross rehoming centres and hospitals. Chipping dogs is of course, just the first step – it's vital to keep your contact details up to date. Out of date details will not protect your dog, and could result in a fine. And of course, don't stop at just your dogs, we recommend that cats, rabbits and other pets are also microchipped to keep them safe and increase their chances of being reunited with you should they get lost or stray.For the compulsory microchipping of dogs to realise its full potential veterinary practices, rehoming centres, local authorities and all those who own and keep dogs need to work together. Communication between the databases needs to be efficient, and a single point of contact for all those dealing with lost and straying dogs is absolutely essential. Blue Cross is continuing to work as part of the Microchipping Alliance to ensure that the introduction of compulsory microchipping delivers all of the promised welfare benefits.Rachel Cunningham, Blue Cross Public Affairs Manager.