Pet Microchipping – Regulations & The Law

Pet Microchipping - Regulations & The Law

It is a legal requirement to microchip your dog and has been since 2016 in England, Scotland and Wales and in Northern Ireland since 2012, not adhering to this could mean that you could face up to a £500 fine.

The UK Government announced in December 2021 that it is set to introduce compulsory cat microchipping, to help reunite lost and stray pets. This will ensure that all kittens are microchipped by the time they are 20 weeks old, anyone not adhering to this new law when it is introduced, could face a £500 fine.

Protect Your Pets with a Pet-ID Microchip

Besides any legal requirement for microchipping, we think it’s essential to microchip all pets so that if they should ever get lost or stolen, they are easily identifiable and are able to be returned home to you.

Microchipping your dog or cat gives them the best chance of getting found if lost or stolen but is also only effective if your contact details are always up to date.

British Pet Insurance partners with microchip market leader, Pet-ID to provide all their microchipped pets with 4 weeks of free insurance, ensuring your pets are double protected.

Where Can I find a Pet-ID Implanter?

The Pet-ID website hosts a handy tool to find a local implanter, visitors can enter their postcode, selecting how far they are willing to travel to be given a list of implanters within the defined area, you can do this by clicking here.

What to Do If Your Pet Goes Missing

If the unthinkable does happen and your pet is lost or stolen, make sure your contact details are correct and up to date on your pet’s microchip, contact the database your pet is microchipped with and update them. You can find out where your pet’s microchip is registered at https://www.check-a-chip.co.uk/index.aspx

But beware of scam websites such as Pet Chip Registry and All Paws Registry which are offshore operations that advertise on search engines such as Google and are not authorised UK databases. No-one will look on them to find your details.

Ring the vets and rescue centres in the area and notify them that your pet is missing, give a full description and ensure they know that your pet is microchipped, do the same with the local council dog warden.

Put up a post on Facebook and other social media and share it with as many groups and pages as possible.

Here are some other tips if your dog goes missing:

• Contact the police, particularly if you believe your dog has been stolen.
• If missing when on a walk, try to talk to other dog walkers.

Here are some tips if your cat goes missing:

• Ask neighbours and post on social media to check sheds, garages, conservatories or roofs.
• Attempt to call your cat when they’d normally return home, or alternatively leave some wet cat food out near your back door.