Menu
Thu, 28 March 2024

Newsletter sign-up

Subscribe now
The House Live All
Communities
Health
Mission possible: Delivering tomorrow’s homes today Partner content
Economy
Press releases
By BAE Systems Plc

All Welsh dogs to get chips

British Veterinary Association | British Veterinary Association

2 min read Partner content

Vets have welcomed the announcement that all dogs in Wales must be microchipped from March 2015.

The decision follows compulsory microchipping legislation coming into force in Northern Ireland last year and a Defra decision to introduce the policy in England from April 2016.

The Welsh Government said of the 450,000 dogs in Wales, 58% are already microchipped.

This means that there are approximately 190,000 dogs that would need to be microchipped prior to March 2015.

Minister for Natural Resources and Food, Alun Davies said:

“Dog owners already have a duty of care under the Animal Welfare Act but it can be difficult to ensure that this duty is being met without a reliable form of identification.

“By microchipping all dogs in Wales we can formalise the relationship between an owner and pet and ensure an increased level of accountability.

“The response to our consultation on the issue was overwhelmingly in favour of our plans.”

The British Veterinary Association( BVA) has warmly welcomed the decision.

Peter Jones, BVAPresident, said:

“Microchipping is a safe, effective and permanent way to link dogs to their owners and is an essential part of responsible ownership.

“t is a small cost in terms of dog ownership with veterinary practices offering microchipping at a very reasonable price or at a discount or free as part of a practice promotion.

“We will continue to lobby the Scottish Government to ensure that the whole of the UK has compulsory microchipping in place.”

In 2010/11 more than 126,000 stray dogs were collected in the UK by local councils. 52% could not be returned to their owners because they were unidentifiable.

PoliticsHome Newsletters

Get the inside track on what MPs and Peers are talking about. Sign up to The House's morning email for the latest insight and reaction from Parliamentarians, policy-makers and organisations.

Read the most recent article written by British Veterinary Association - Pet proof your Christmas and stay off Santa Paw’s naughty list

Associated Organisation
Podcast
Engineering a Better World

The Engineering a Better World podcast series from The House magazine and the IET is back for series two! New host Jonn Elledge discusses with parliamentarians and industry experts how technology and engineering can provide policy solutions to our changing world.

NEW SERIES - Listen now

Partner content
Connecting Communities

Connecting Communities is an initiative aimed at empowering and strengthening community ties across the UK. Launched in partnership with The National Lottery, it aims to promote dialogue and support Parliamentarians working to nurture a more connected society.

Find out more