Microchipping — is it time to make it compulsory?

It revealed that over 9000 unhomed dogs had been destroyed' and ‘of those stray and abandoned dogs found, less than 50% were able to be returned to their owners. However, one-third of these were reunited with their owners thanks to their microchip’.

Millions of pets are microchipped in the UK, which is an encouraging start as recent surveys have shown that microchips have a huge impact on successful reunification. However, many lost pets are still not reunited with their owners, with the Dogs Trust annual Stray Dog Survey showing that as many as 49% of dogs were not reunited with owners in 2009. This is, however, a big improvement on 2008 when 58% of stray dogs were not reunited with their owners.

A microchipped pet community will not only help lost animals find their way home quickly, reducing stress for them and their owners, but it will also help to ease the burden on practices, local authorities and welfare organizations around the country which are inundated with stray animals. Around 250 000 dogs alone go missing each year and veterinary nurses will know all too well the time a lost pet can take up. A greater number of microchipped pets would lead to more quick and easy reunifications and ultimately help to reduce the number of animals in rescue homes.