All dogs in Northern Ireland will have to be micro-chipped from the 1st April.
Northern Ireland is the first part of the UK to bring in a law like this. The governments in Westminster and Cardiff are watching – they are considering doing the same.
This is to stop stray dogs roaming the streets, it seams that people cannot afford to keep a dog now so they drive for miles let the dog out and we have another stray. They are picked up, if there is no micro-chip found they are put into kennels.
Strays are picked up and put into the dog pound, if for some reason they could not be re-homed they are put down. Last year in Northern Ireland, 1,615 stray or abandoned dogs were destroyed. That is about one in six of the dogs in pounds – a much higher proportion than the UK average.
People must think that a dog is for Christmas, not for life.
Dog warden Nicola Poole says the new law should make her job easier
“It’s another method of trying to track dogs’ owners and get them home. Dogs’ collars and tags can be lost and can be removed. The microchip is permanent, so it can be pretty helpful.”
The microchipping procedure is very quick. The chip – about a centimetre long – is placed on the end of an instrument which looks like a syringe.
It is then implanted into the loose skin between a dog’s shoulders. Many vets have agreed to carry out the procedure for free.
dribblingpensioner 
With some owners, I think they should micro chip the owners as well. hheee!
I think your right , my last post about dogs some of those owners need chipped.
I saw a program on tv a little while back and some owners are just brain dead idiots…
It’s definitely a good idea. But what if the ownership changes?
Christine
A good question, i don’t know, i would think they would have to be re-chipped.
Yes that would be the answer, I didn’t think of it 🙂
They might be able to like transfer ownership of the chip or something rather than re-doing it.
Yes that would be easier, but then the paper work could go wrong.
I think all members of our royal family are chipped as well, for in case they get kidnapped 🙂
Or if they get lost, just like CPT.Mark Philips did years ago 🙂
Good story. can I repost on Fbook?
Please feel free to do so, and thank you.
Good decision to make micro chipping mandatory. We need that law here in the US too. So many stray dogs and cats roam our cities. Very sad. Thanks for posting this, Harry.
That is one reason, its also for dogs that bite or attack to prove who owns them.
In the US, we have a huge problem with pet over-population and shelter over-crowding. Many people can’t afford their pets and abandon them; full shelters turn them away. It’s a horrible problem. If we had mandatory micro chipping, many people couldn’t afford it (and the government sure wouldn’t pay for it). We need to focus efforts on spay and neuter programs, at least over here.
But for those who can afford it, I think micro chips are great. I’d hate to lose my Scrappy and not know where to find him… 😦
The chipping is free in Northern Ireland but England are going to charge £30 plus.
All cats and dogs in ponds or shelters are spayed and neutered free if they are going to a home.
We have very few strays over here, any that are found they try re-home them or after six months they are put down.
Some people seem to think a dog is for xmas not for life.
Micro chipping is a great idea. But what if they return a dog to an owner that was trying to get rid of it? I wish only responsible people would take ownership of animals. They require so much love, time and patience, not to mention the fact that good care is expensive. It’s so sad to hear about all those that had to be put down. : (
A stray is not returned to a family it came from unless they can prove that they do want it, perhaps it escaped or got of a lead.
Micro-chipping cats and dogs should be mandatory, it would solve a lot of problems. Some vets will do it for free, but I don’t see why all vets can’t do it for free when making a routine visit to them with our pet – after all, it only takes a second.
It should be free as it is over here or at least the cost of the chip.
You guys in London are geniuses! 🙂
WHAT ? 🙂 i’m not in London.
WHAT … you aren’t!!??
So you did not read my about page 😆
Good idea. It’s so sad that people think it’s OK to dump pets. I live in a rural area and we often have dumped cats and dogs wander in looking for food……most of them end up dying a slow death as a result of tick bites.
That’s human’s for you GOF, they don’t think of the expense of keeping a pet.
I wish I could believe it will work Harry – but if someone wants to get rid of a dog they can cut the chip out. it happens believe me…my daughter’s best friend is a vet nurse. And all the backyard breeders – the same people who don’t register or take their dogs to the vets won’t bother chipping them…they will find a way around chipping as they do registration.
That may be true JO, but i think after a few years they will bring in a fine for those who are not chipped.
it is ‘compulsory’ here in Andalcuía although of course many people never take their dogs out or to the vet.
Don’t forget there is a paper record, so when ownership changes, so does the paper record.
I think a lot of people will not bother for the reasons you said.
why cant the authorities do the same thing with cats they roam the streets shit in peoples gardens and ambush little birds my next door neighbour had a cat and it never gets into the house .and all dogs should be muzzled just like greyhounds have to be muzzled when out on the lead