Compulsory Microchipping in Scotland

You are probably aware that we have long campaigned for the introduction of compulsory microchipping for all dogs across the United Kingdom. We are delighted that the measure has now been introduced in Northern Ireland, Wales, and England, but with no plans as yet to legislate, the Scottish Government are in real danger of falling behind the rest of the UK in this important aspect of dog welfare.

Microchipping was first introduced into the UK in 1989 and is internationally recognised as a permanent method of identification and traceability of dogs and their owners. The most important reason for microchipping is to enable a lost or straying dog to be returned promptly to its owner. This in turn reduces the number of healthy dogs unnecessarily put to sleep and saves money for Local Authorities by cutting kennelling costs.

Microchipping is a one-off cost of about £20-£30. Dogs Trust works closely with Local Authorities across the UK to promote the tool as an effective method of permanently identifying dogs. We chipped approximately 100,000 dogs in the run up to the introduction of legislation in Northern Ireland as part of our ‘chip roadshow’, which travelled across the country offering training and advice and providing free chip implantation to dog owners. We have also set aside a substantial amount of money to ensure that dog owners in England and Wales can avail of free chipping within a limited time period. A similar scheme would be offered in Scotland were compulsory microchipping to be implemented.

Dogs Trust intends to continue lobbying the Scottish Government on the issue, but for this we need your help.

What can I do?

Dogs Trust recently commissioned a YouGov survey to gauge Scottish opinion on compulsory microchipping. We are delighted to reveal that an encouraging 82% of all Scottish adults think that microchipping should be made compulsory for all dogs in Scotland, with just 9% saying that it should not, and a further 9% unsure. We believe that this figure really emphasises the high level of support in Scotland for this important aspect of responsible dog ownership. If you are one of this 82%, we would ask you to write to your local MSP asking them to raise the issue of compulsory microchipping with the Scottish Government on your behalf.

We have prepared a template letter which you can modify before sending either as an email or as a letter if you pick the 'Send me a Word file' option - simply click here  to proceed to the online form and complete your details.

We would recommend trying to personalise this letter as much as possible, in order to better grab your MSP’s attention. If, for example, your dog has ever been lost or stolen and then been successfully returned to you because of its microchip please insert here or as a responsible dog owner, explain why you believe it is important for your dog to be microchipped. If you receive a reply, please send a copy to us so that we can take further action if required.

If you have any queries about the process or any other matter relating to compulsory microchipping in Scotland, please do not hesitate to get in touch, you can email us at: Feedback@dogstrust.org.uk

 Thank You.

Defra Announces Compulsory Microchipping

This morning, 6th February 2013, the Government announced that microchipping of all dogs in England will soon be compulsory, something we have long campaigned for. We are committing to supporting the law change by heavily investing in making microchips available for free for any dog in the UK.

In the words of our CEO Clarissa Baldwin OBE:

“For many years Dogs Trust has led the campaign for the introduction of compulsory microchipping and we applaud the decision the Government has taken which represents a hugely significant and progressive breakthrough for dog welfare.  

“As the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, reducing the UK’s stray dog population is at the very heart of what we do which is why we have committed a considerable amount of money to ensure no dog owners will lack the financial ability to microchip their dog. Currently, microchipping involves a minimal one-off cost, but the benefits last a life-time.”

Put simply, microchipping is the single most effective means of returning a dog to its owner – thus saving lives.

We are running a series of free weekend chipping events across the UK in March and April, full details of which can be found on our website.

You can also take a look at our extensive Q&A on what microchipping is and how it works.

There will be more events in the future, and we will also continue to offer free microchipping by appointment at any of our centres (call to book), as we have been since December 2011. There are also plans to offer free chips to vets, who will be able to take part on a voluntary basis.

While the change of law applies to England only, our centres in Scotland and Wales will be taking part, and we will continue the extensive work that we have been doing in Northern Ireland where we have now chipped 115,000 dogs in 18 months – roughly a third of the local dog population.

The compulsory permanent identification of all dogs means that more dogs found lost or straying can be returned to their owners and in a timelier manner. local authorities were unable to return over half (52%) of stray dogs in 2010/11, a total of 65,612 dogs, because they were unidentifiable. We believe the new measures will help reduce the burden on animal welfare charities such as Dogs Trust and reduce the cost to local authorities of kennelling, which could save the public purse approximately anywhere between £20.5 and £22.8 million per year.

We know that people will have questions about enforcement and keeping chips updated. We are stressing the importance of linking microchipping to registration, and work hard to inform owners of both the benefits of microchipping and the need to keep details updated. We don’t just focus on the owners who are already likely to comply; for example, our City Dogs campaign works with owners - particularly of so-called status dogs - in the more disadvantaged parts of London, providing free microchipping alongside advice and education.

For those concerned about compliance, our work in Northern Ireland has indicated that microchipping is a considerably more attractive option than licensing; though compliance with the licence is quite low, our microchipping programme is very popular, as owners recognise the benefits of chipping but object to what they see as being taxed to own a dog (you can read a more detailed post on why we favour microchipping over licensing here). There will also be a system of fines in place to help enforce the new law.

To be clear, we don’t believe that complulsory microchipping will solve all dog-related problems. Today’s announcement has come as part of a wider package of dog control measures for England which Dogs Trust does not believe go far enough to tackle the many issues surrounding irresponsible dog ownership, least of all dangerous dogs.  Dogs Trust would like to see an end to breed specific legislation and we believe that until a fundamental overhaul of dog legislation is undertaken, including provisions for preventative measures, dog control problems in this country will remain.

For more information, see www.chipmydog.org.uk. You can also search the hashtag #chipmydog on Twitter.

[Image: Richard Moore, Manager at Dogs Trust Harefield, demonstrates microchipping and scanning.]

Is the Dogs Trust Chip Van visiting your neighbourhood?

The Dogs Trust Chip Van is on tour. No hot dogs or french fries from this van however - its campaigning for a change in the law.

The distinctive chip van is travelling all around the country, explaining to MPs and other politicians about the importance of microchipping. Dogs Trust wants the microchip to become a legal requirement in the way a collar and tag is.

Why is the Chip Van Tour important? Why do we want to see microchipping made compulsory?

• To improve the number of straying dogs that are returned to their owners.
• If there are fewer stray dogs as a result of being microchipped Dogs Trust will take fewer ‘8 day’ dogs from local authorities and can in turn rehome and make room for more dogs abandoned for different reasons.
• Welfare issues: cruelty, fighting, dog fouling - if a particular dog can be identified to their owner then the owner can be tracked down and dealt with.
• To support the draft DEFRA Regulation requiring all Greyhounds to be microchipped as part of the identification process.
• Dog breeding debate- the integrity of all the genetic tests that are done is completely valueless unless the animal can be identified. It is an essential part of integrity for the whole dog breeding debate.
• Microchipping is part of being a responsible owner.
• Allow the tracing of puppies to irresponsible breeders such as puppy farms.

The Chip Van Tour website will let you follow the progress of the van around the country, seeing who is supporting us and reading the blog to see what's happening.

Please note: The Chip Van is not on tour microchipping dogs! You can find out more about the process of microchipping process on the Dogs Trust website, including details of our low-cost microchipping.

Meet Dogs Trust: Denise Gilgallon (and Harvey)

Much of the work Dogs Trust does to reduce alarming statistics like those found by our Stray Dogs Reports is done with Local Authorities in particular campaign regions. Here, Denise tells us more about how we can improve dog welfare in the future.

Name: Denise Gilgallon

Location: Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, Darlington

Job: Regional Campaigns Manager

You what...? My job entails working with Local Authorities promoting neutering, microchipping and responsible dog ownership. The aim of my job is to reduce the number of stray dogs and also reducing the number of dogs that are unnecessarily destroyed. I've been at Dogs Trust for 10 years.

Best thing about my job: Getting positive feedback from Local Authorities to say the number of stray dogs has reduced and they have collected no unwanted litters.

Pets: Harvey our 6 year old black cocker spaniel who we adopted from Darlington Rehoming Centre when he was 18 months old. He is gorgeous and we love him to bits.

Favourite websites: I love fashion and interior design sites and have just bought Harvey some fab new toys from a website. Obviously DoggySnaps is a firm favourite.

What I'm reading now: I've just bought No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay, to read whilst on holiday in Scotland, a thriller, in which, a teenage girl wakes up one morning to discover her family have vanished without a trace. 25 years later, after a TV appeal, she begins to learn the truth behind their sudden disappearance. Looking forward to a good ‘can’t put it down’ read.

Weekend plans: Harvey, my partner and I are going on holiday to Scotland. The three of us really enjoy visiting Scotland as there are so many beautiful walks and Lochs to explore.

Check back on Monday for Harvey's profile!

Meet Dogs Trust: Jacqui Darlow | Hollie Sevenoaks

Microchipping: the Kennel Club urges the public to update their Petlog information

The UK Kennel Club's Petlog is the largest reunification scheme in the country, and it supports the details of 3.5 million pet owners, with 40,000 joining a month.

Having handled over 89,000 calls in 2007, the service is responsible for helping thousands of owners be reunited with their lost or stolen dogs. Unfortunately, some of these reunions are made far more difficult by the fact that pet owners move house and forget to update their details. Sometimes a dog changes hands and the new owners also fail to

It is vitally important that there is always a current, working telephone number at which you can be contacted on Petlog's database. It could be the difference between getting your dog back or having him processed as a stray by the Local Authority. When apparent strays are not claimed within the week, the LA has the choice of handing them on to a rehoming charity but some are ultimately humanely euthanised.

Microchipping can help prevent a lot of heartbreak and an unncessarily lengthy stay in the kennels for your dog. Since a microchip is embedded in the skin, it cannot fall or be taken off like the statutory collar and tag.

All dogs that pass through Dogs Trust's care are microchipped. It costs around £20-30 at a vets, but some of our Rehoming Centres offer the service at a reduced price. Just give your local centre a call to find out more.

If you've moved home recently and haven't yet updated your microchip details, you can update your records online. To record a Change of Ownership, just call Petlog on 0870 606 6751 for assistance.

Proof that microchipping pets works: dog reunited with owners within 24 hours!

When a group of students found an adorable Collie cross wandering around Leeds' Hyde Park on her own, they took note of the Dogs Trust collar around her neck and called us. John, the Assistant Manager at Dogs Trust Leeds collected her and, knowing we microchip every dog in our care, scanned her for a microchip.

Amelia, as the dog's name turned out to be, had indeed been adopted from us by a Mrs. Swallow, though in Snetterton, not Leeds! Mrs. Swallow's son had set off to visit his brother in Leeds with Amelia, who escaped from the student house and promptly got lost.

The next morning, when the centre managed to track down Mrs. Swallow, she was already in Leeds frantically searching for the beloved family pet. Thanks to a microchip and the fact that Mrs. Swallow kept the details updated, Amelia was reunited with her overjoyed and relieved family just one day after first going missing.

A great story to celebrate National Microchipping Month, don't you think?

National Microchipping Month: have you microchipped your pet yet?

One in three lost dog reunions happens thanks to microchips.

In a call-to-action marking the beginning of National Microchipping Month (June 1-30), Dogs Trust is urging those owners who have not microchipped their dog to make it their number one priority.

A tiny chip coded with a unique reference number is implanted via injection just under the skin between the shoulder blades. A hand-held scanner held over the area can identify the number which corresponds to a database of owner contact details.

As painless and brief as a normal jab, this procedure now accounts for 32% of dogs being reunited with their owners, a massive rise from 7% in 1999. Microchipping overtook the ID disc in effectiveness five years ago!*

This only represents a proportion of the lost dogs that were returned home, and does not reflect the overall numbers of strays in the UK. According to the last survey the total number has, sadly, increased.

Dogs Trust Chief Executive Clarissa Baldwin comments:

“Of the hundreds of stray dogs that come to our centres, it is heartbreaking to think that many once had loving homes.

“More and more dog owners are aware that microchipping is the most effective and proactive means of ensuring a lost pooch will be returned.

“If you haven’t had your pet microchipped, make this the month to do it. Dogs go missing all the time, for all sorts of reasons, and microchipping is by far the best precaution you can take to ensure your furry friend doesn’t end up on the streets, or even being put to sleep.”

Owners can expect to pay £20-£30 for microchipping at their local vets’ or £10 at our 17 Dogs Trust Rehoming Centres. You can find your nearest Centre by calling us on 020 8837 0006 or visiting www.dogstrust.org.uk.

All dogs adopted from our Centres are microchipped, neutered, vaccinated and health-checked before being released to their new owners.

*Please note that a collar and ID tag are required for dogs out in public under UK law.