This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Contact Details On Microchips Must Remain Registered For Life #TuksLaw
Rescue Back Up contact details are registered on microchips to protect animals in times of vulnerability. Rescue organisations & responsible breeders who register their ongoing interest are let down by database companies who are changing and/or removing these details without notification/permission
More details
No removal of any keeper without written consent & RBU registration to remain for the lifetime of the animal
Vets/rescues/charities/police to contact RBU registration/keeper on the microchip if an animals life is at risk of euthanasia in a non emergency inc. seized & straying
Vet practices to register RBU on practice databases
Reg. keepers to have access to info on treatment, euthanasia, disposal of bodies
Pet crematoriums to scan & log microchip number prior to cremation for identification
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Government responded
This response was given on 20 August 2021
The Government will consider some of these issues further as part of the post-implementation review of The Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015
Read the response in full
This Government is committed to high standards of animal welfare, including the welfare of dogs. In Defra’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, we committed to provide greater assurance that alternatives to euthanasia are explored before a healthy dog is put down (the Tuk’s law principle). We have worked closely with the veterinary profession and jointly agreed to incorporate the principle of scanning before euthanasia in the guidance that underpins the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) guidance now requires veterinary surgeons to scan for a microchip in dogs prior to euthanasia where, in their professional judgement, it is not necessary to put the dog down on animal health or welfare grounds. The guidance applies to all veterinary surgeons practising in the United Kingdom. Checking the details on the relevant database will alert the vet to anyone else who may have an interest in the animal, such as a rescue centre who has entered rescue back-up information on the database. This will inform a discussion about alternatives to euthanasia.
Under the Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015, it is compulsory for owners to microchip their dogs. These regulations also lay down requirements for the details to be recorded on databases and the conditions that must be met by compliant database operators. While some databases offer the possibility of recording Rescue Back Up contact details, it is not a legal requirement for databases to include this functionality.
We are currently carrying out a post-implementation review of the Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015 to consider whether improvements can be made to the current regime, including the operation of the databases. We will consider as part of the review whether additional fields should be contained on compliant databases, such as Rescue Back-up and removal of contact details. We will publish proposals later this year.
With regards to access to veterinary records, these are the responsibility of individual vet practices, who are bound by professional standards relating to client confidentiality.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Related activity
Government publishes the results of its consultation on cat and dog microchipping and scanning
On 4 December, the Government published a summary of the responses to its consultation on cat and dog microchipping and scanning. The Government has also published its response, setting out a series of actions it plans to take on this issue.
Read the summary of consultation responses: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/cat-and-dog-microchipping-and-scanning-in-england/outcome/summary-of-responses-and-government-response
In their response to the consultation, the Government confirms that it plans to introduce compulsory cat microchipping. The Government also says it is reviewing the database system to identify practical measures which could improve its operation, and will publicly consult on improvements to the existing microchipping system, including the operation of databases, before introducing secondary legislation covering both cats and dogs.
The response also states that the Government is working with the veterinary profession and the Tuk’s Law campaign to monitor the effectiveness of requirements relating to scanning prior to euthanasia, as set out in the updated RCVS’ Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons.
Read the Government's response: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/cat-and-dog-microchipping-and-scanning-in-england/outcome/summary-of-responses-and-government-response#part-2-government-response
Share your views on changes to cat and dog microchipping in England
The Government has launched a public consultation on potential changes to cat and dog microchipping requirements and the operation of the microchipping database system in England. The proposed changes aim to make it easier to reunite lost or stolen cats and dogs and to improve breeder traceability.
Find out more about the consultation, and share your views: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/companion-animal-welfare-and-sentience/consultation-on-cat-and-dog-microchipping-leg/
The consultation is open until 11.45pm on 17 May 2022. Once the consultation has closed, the Government will publish a summary of the responses and what new measures it will be taking forward on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/cat-and-dog-microchipping-consultation
Who is running the consultation?
The consultation is being run by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). DEFRA is responsible for government policy on environmental improvement and protection in England. The devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are responsible for environmental policy in those nations.
Find out more about what DEFRA does: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs/about
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