Microchip your dog or face a £500 fine: New laws that aim to make it easier to trace animals that attack people or go missing could affect 1.5m owners

Nearly 1.5million dog owners face a fine of up to £500 for failing to microchip their pets under new laws coming into force next month.

The move is aimed at helping track the owners of dogs that attack people or other animals, as well as reuniting owners with missing pets.
The laws, which come into force on April 6, require all dogs in the UK aged eight weeks and over to have the chip implanted under the skin

Dogs must already wear a collar and tag with the owner’s name, address and telephone number when they are in a public place.
But having a microchip is a more permanent way of recording the animal’s ownership – as collars and tags can be removed or fall off.
While 83 per cent of dog owners have so far complied, around one in five – 1.45million – have not done so, according to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.

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