Dog database: Every newborn puppy will have to be microchipped under proposals to crack down on dangerous animalsEvery newborn puppy will have to be microchipped under proposals to crack down on dangerous animals.
Environment Minister Lord Taylor told peers yesterday he was ‘close to finalising a package of measures to tackle irresponsible dog owners’.
He added: ‘We see microchipping as one measure we can take to address an increasing problem.'
The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the skin of the dog, between the shoulder blades, using a needle and syringeEvery puppy born will have a microchip implanted under its skin, in a procedure that costs up to £35 a time. The dog’s details will then be stored on a database, which the police and RSPCA will have access to.
The scheme is expected to be phased in over a period of time, starting with puppies, before being extended to cover Britain’s eight million pet dogs.
In London alone, police seized 1,512 illegal dogs last year – up from just 27 five years earlier. Peers were told that attacks on guide dogs were now running at the rate of seven a month. Lord Taylor said the plan would also help cut the £57million annual cost of dealing with strays which last year saw 6,000 being destroyed. The microchipping idea has the support of both the RSPCA and the Kennel Club.
source: dailymail
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