Annette at the event.
Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole highlighted that over 8,000 dogs euthanised each year because their owner cannot be found could be saved if dog owners ‘Chip it, Check it’.
Annette highlighted the importance of microchipping and checking contact details are up to date as part of the Kennel Club’s National Microchipping Month during an event in Old Palace Yard, Westminster. The event launched the new ‘Chip it, Check it’ education campaign intended to inform the public about the change in law from April 2016 and was supported by Members of Parliament and animal welfare organisations.
Regulations due to be laid shortly as secondary regulations under the Animal Welfare Act, will place a requirement on owners to have their dogs microchipped and registered on one of the databases available. Owners will also be expected to be responsible for ensuring the information is kept up to date in order to have the best chance of reuniting them with their pet.
Speaking about the event, the Mid Dorset and North Poole MP said “In the countdown to compulsory microchipping, National Microchipping Month is an ideal reminder for local people to ‘Chip it, Check it’ – to get their dogs microchipped or if already chipped, check their contact details are up to date on the microchip database.”
The Kennel Club has always been dedicated to reuniting dogs and owners through its reunification database Petlog, the UK’s largest lost and found database for microchipped pets, and holds National Microchipping Month each June to educate those involved with dogs on the benefits of microchipping.
Kennel Club Secretary, Caroline Kisko commented: “The introduction of a requirement to permanently identify a dog through compulsory microchipping will go a long way towards improving the current situation surrounding stray dogs by reducing the need for unidentified lost dogs to be rehomed or sadly euthanised. The Kennel Club views regulation as a positive step forward for responsible dog ownership and thanks Annette for her support in promoting dog welfare”.
National Microchipping Month runs throughout June. For more information go to www.nationalmicrochippingmonth.org.uk
