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Microchipping: how legislation will impact your practice
Abstract
It's now less than a year until microchipping of dogs becomes compulsory by law. This article looks at how the legislation that will accompany compulsory microchipping will impact on veterinary practices.
The Microchipping of Dogs Regulations for England were announced in October 2014, and outlined the responsibilities of dog owners once microchipping becomes compulsory in England from 6 April, 2016.
The keeper of a dog (which in relation to a newborn puppy is the owner of the bitch which gave birth to it and in relation to any other dog, the person with whom the dog normally resides) will have until 6 April 2016 to have their dog microchipped and register the details with a database that is compliant with the conditions as laid down in the government regulations. Any changes to a keeper's details must be kept updated with the microchip database.
From 6 April 2016 all puppies must be microchipped by the time they are 8 weeks old (prior to leaving the breeder), and registered with a database that is compliant. Anyone who does not have their dog microchipped after 6 April 2016 could have a notice served and will have 21 days to have the dog microchipped, failure to do so may result in a fine of up to £500 (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, 2015a).
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