Pet Microchipping

Thank you for contacting me about pet microchipping.
 
To their owners, pets are cherished members of the family and I understand that their disappearance and deaths can cause a lot of distress.
 
I am pleased that microchipping for dogs became compulsory for animals over eight weeks of age across England, Scotland and Wales in 2016. One year after the Government introduced this policy, the Dogs Trust reported a reduction of 18 per cent in the total stray dog population. In 2016, UK local authorities collected 81,000 strays, while in 2018 this fell to 56,000.
 
Ministers are now seeking to find out what the effect of mandatory cat microchipping would be on owners, rescue and rehoming centres and cats themselves. These plans could help reunite lost cats with their owners, tackle pet theft and identify cats injured or killed on roads. A call for evidence was launched earlier this year and I look forward to reading the summary of responses once this has been published. 
 
In the meantime, I would encourage all cat owners to make the sensible choice to microchip their felines, ensuring relevant records are kept up to date. A microchip is a permanent form of identification and allows owners to be contacted if their animal is found.
 
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.