As of April 2016, it is now a mandatory practice throughout the United Kingdom for all dog owners to have their dogs microchipped and recorded with a government compliant microchip database or they will be fined up to £500.

Microchipping is a quick and safe procedure that will help to protect your pet for life.

One of the most effective means of protecting your dog or cat from being lost or stolen is microchipping them. Microchips last a lifetime. Once implanted, the only thing you’ll need to do is keep the information up to date.

What is a microchip? A microchip is a small electronic chip that will help identify your pet should it be lost or stolen. There are different sizes of microchip 12mm, 10mm, 8mm and 7mm. These chips can be read by ANY microchip reader and are fully compatible.

How and where is the microchip implanted? The microchip is injected through a sterile needle under the dog’s skin between the shoulder blades using a sterile implanting tool.

Do I have to pay to update my details? Yes, you may need to pay to update your details but most databases offer a premium services which is one payment that entitles you to unlimited changes. Not only it is a legal requirement to ensure that your contact details are up-to-date, but the microchip is useless without them. Every year, thousands of dogs are unable to be reunited with their owners because their chip details are not up to date.

What will happen is my dog is not chipped? It is a legal requirement that your dog is chipped.

​Key facts

• All dogs in the UK must be microchipped
• Puppies must be micro chipped by 8 weeks or before leaving the litter.
• Breeders will be responsible for microchipping and must be recorded as the first keeper.
• The recorded keepers (where the dog resides) MUST keep contact details up to date on a government compliant database

Prices are £10 per animal plus mileage, as calculated on the AA route map site