This petition was submitted during the 2015-2017 parliament
Petition Introduce Compulsory Scanning for microchips by vets, rescues and authorities.
The new compulsory microchipping regulations don't go far enough and have only been put into place to save money on the management of stray dogs. Nothing is mentioned about the need to scan microchips and check registration to help find missing and stolen pets.
More details
It's no good giving all dogs microchips if all vets, agencies and other establishments do not scan for microchips as standard procedure every and any time an animal is dealt with whether dead or alive.
Compulsory microchipping does not work without compulsory scanning and responsible owners are being let down as we have to rely on a 'Duty of Care' which doesn't work now!
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Government responded
This response was given on 11 January 2016
On 6 April 2016, it will be a requirement for all dogs to be identified with a microchip.
Read the response in full
The Government considers that requiring all dogs to be microchipped will help promote dog welfare and more responsible dog ownership. Microchipped dogs that stray will be more quickly reunited with their owner and spend less time in kennels, which is good for the dog and good for the owner. Microchipping also reduces burdens on local authorities and dog re-homing centres by cutting the amount of time they spend trying to re-unite displaced dogs with their owners.
Local authorities and re-homing centres already scan dogs when they are received into their care. To help with this process, local authorities have been provided with free scanners by The Kennel Club.
We do not expect vets to enforce the microchipping requirements. However, in cases where vets do come across an unmicrochipped dog they can advise the owner about the requirement.
There are organisations and agencies who unfortunately may come across dogs that have been killed on the roads or rail network. The Government have reminded the relevant authorities that as a matter of good practice they should routinely scan such dogs so that owners can be informed.
The Government does not consider it necessary therefore to require everyone who comes into contact with a dog to scan it in order to check compliance with the microchipping requirements or to establish whether the dog is lost or stolen.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Related activity
Get involved with House of Commons Committee inquiry on animal welfare in relation to domestic pets
You may be interested to know that the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee is currently looking into animal welfare in relation to domestic pets, including cats, dogs and horses. It will focus on the Animal Welfare Act which places a legal obligation on owners and keepers of animals to care for them properly. The Committee wants to examine the effectiveness of the Act and its enforcement with regards to domestic animals. It will also look at whether that Act and other existing legislation remains fit for purpose in the age of the internet with regards to the sale of domestic pets.
The Committee is asking for written submissions from people on the following issues:
-The effectiveness of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 with regard to domestic pets;
-Regulation surrounding the sale of domestic pets, including online sales and advertising;
-Enforcement of current animal welfare legislation, including prosecution of offences by the police, local authorities, the RSPCA and others;
-Comparative approaches to enforcement in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The deadline for submissions is Thursday 17 March 2016.
You can find out more about the Committee's inquiry here: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environment-food-and-rural-affairs-committee/environment-food-and-rural-affairs-sub-committee/inquiries/parliament-2015/animal-welfare-domestic-15-16/
You can watch a short video about how Select Committees work here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c&feature=youtu.be
You can find out more about how to send a submission to a Select Committee here: http://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/committees/
You can follow the EFRA Committee on Twitter: @CommonsEFRA