Dog Identification

This page explains the importance of providing your dog with good identification so you can be contacted if it strays.

All dogs must now be microchipped under the legislation

Micro-chipping

Micro-chipping involves injecting a small electronic implant or micro-chip just under the skin of your dog. It gives your dog its own reference number which is stored on a national database. If your dog strays, the microchip can be read by a scanner from which your contact details can be very quickly obtained.

You can find out more about microchipping your dog from your local vet.

In some cases, the micro-chip can move around within the dog, so it is not always possible to find easily. Therefore, it is important that you comply with the law by also having a collar with your name and address attached as well as a microchip.

If you do microchip your dog, always remember to update the details on both the chip and the collar if you move house or change your telephone number. This also applies if you buy a dog that has already been micro-chipped with someone else's details.

It is still legislation that:

A dog should wear a collar when they are in a public place. The collar or a plate or badge attached to the collar should have the name and address of the owner engraved or written on it. A telephone number is optional but advisable.

Owners whose dogs do not wear proper identification can be fined as it is a requirement of the law under the Control of Dogs Order 1992.

A dog can accidentally lose its collar and badge and this is a reason why the microchipping legislation has been brought into effect.