Dog owners and breeders in the Republic of Ireland have until March 31 to comply with new laws which make it compulsory to have all dogs microchipped and registered with a Government-approved database such as www.fido.ie.
As part of the new legislation dog owners must also have a certificate from the database provider to prove that the dog is properly microchipped and registered. Dog owners must also keep their contact details up to date and register any change of contact details or change of ownership on the database.
National Microchipping Month has been moved to March this year to help raise awareness amongst dog owners and breeders about the new legislation.
If you haven’t microchipped your dog, now is the time to speak to your vet.
Dog owners across the country can avail of free microchipping at over 200 participating veterinary practices as part of a Nationwide Microchipping Month, supported by FIDO and Dogs Trust and available on a ‘first come first served’ basis.
A sterile microchip is the size of a grain of rice. It is inserted painlessly under the skin between the dog’s shoulder blades and takes seconds to complete, meaning a dog can be in and out of a veterinary practice within a few minutes. The microchip is designed to last the lifetime of the dog.
For a nationwide list of participating vets see www.dogstrust.ie/whats-happening/events/.
You can find out more at www.ncm.ie and on Facebook at National Chipping Month.
Owners of dogs already chipped are invited to check that their details are correctly registered on an approved database free of charge at www.chipcheck.ie.
It is now illegal to buy or take ownership of a pup that is not microchipped and registered on an approved database such as www.fido.ie and that does not have a Certificate from the database to prove this.
Under legislation it is now compulsory for all puppies to be microchipped and registered with a Government approved database such as www.fido.ie before the age of 12 weeks – or before they are moved from their birth home.
You must inform a Government approved database when you buy, sell, take ownership or transfer ownership of a dog.
The compulsory microchipping of dogs and new certification of the microchipping process with an authorized database such as fido.ie will have big animal welfare benefits and is good for dog owners too.
If you love your dog you will want to do everything possible to protect it from getting lost. When a dog is lost, microchipping can help its owner to be found quickly as possible, which reduces the stress and trauma for the dog as well as for the owner and their family.
Every year thousands of dogs are put to sleep in Irish pounds. Many of these were healthy, well-adjusted pets. Where compulsory microchipping of dogs has been introduced in other countries there has been a drastic reduction in the number of animals destroyed in pounds because their owners can not be identified.
Mandatory registration and certification will help families to identify whether they are sourcing a pup from a reputable breeder.
The new laws will also help to regulate transportation of pups and dogs between countries, which is good for animal welfare and also for health in terms of disease control.
