A microchip is a small implant about the size of a grain of rice, which is placed under your pet’s skin through a simple injection. The chip uses radio frequency identification technology to tag the animal in question with a unique number used to identify the pet. When a scanner is placed over the chip, the scanner causes the chip to activate and transmit its data back to the scanner.

Why is microchipping important?

• The microchip scanner is one of the first ports of call every veterinary surgery, dog warden, police officer and animal shelter will use to try to identify the owner of a stray dog.
• Whilst an identification tag on your dog’s collar is required by law, a microchip is much more reliable, it cannot “fall off” like a collar, is much harder to intentionally remove and the rate of failure of microchips is very low.
• From the 6th April 2016 the microchipping of every dog in England will become compulsory by law and owners who do not comply with the law could face fines of up to £500.

Don’t forget, even if your pet is already microchipped it is just as important to keep your contact details up to date on the microchip database every time your address and/or phone number changes.

If you haven’t already had your dog microchipped, don’t wait until 2016! Take advantage of National Microchipping Month in June. You will find many special offers available on microchipping at this time; why not ask your vets what they have planned?