Microchipping becomes a legal requirement this week. However, according to the National Press at the weekend it has been suggested that owners of very old dogs can get an exemption cert. from their regular Vet.. Worth asking if your dog is elderly.
The problem is: unless puppies are done before they are sold from Breeders: and the same Vet. (above) was suggesting that puppies and small toy breeds have died because they have been chipped 'too early' : there will be no come-back on Breeders. I suspect that the pups died because the chip was inserted at the same time as their first inoculations! I await with interest more information but doubt if the Press will follow up. Also, many owners don't bother to register their new details when they move, it's way down on the List of things to do. It costs money to re-register. Many people won't want to pay out. Chips have been known to migrate ………..
My view on it has always been that Breeders should be responsible so that the pup/dog can be traced back to them, they will, if responsible, hold paper work as to where and when the pups were sold. That way a found dog can go back to the Breeder who can then contact who they sold it to.
I think that this will run and run ……. it's a money spinner for someone
. Working dogs don't have to have a chip and I would have thought that they were more likely to go astray as pets
!
