Check Your Dog's Microchip and Enjoy a Day at a Show - Perfect!

Torridge District Council's Environmental Team are inviting dog owners to come along and get their dog's microchip checked at either the Holsworthy and Stratton Show on 25th August or the High Bickington Fete on 27th August. 

As a nation of dog lovers, microchipping is crucial for excellent dog welfare, providing dog owners with peace of mind should owners and their dogs become separated. Ensuring the microchip is working and has the most current contact information significantly increases the likelihood of reuniting a lost dog with their keepers.

Since April 2016, it has also been a compulsory requirement for every dog to have an up-to-date microchip with the dog's details uploaded to an approved UK database. Breeders must also ensure that their puppies are microchipped before they are allowed to leave for their new home.

The microchips in use in the UK are passive devices no bigger than a grain of rice and, once in place, can be easily scanned by a hand-held reader. The 15-digit identification code can then be checked against the microchip databases to quickly identify the legal owner and the address currently registered to the chip. Microchipping is a relatively simple process undertaken by all veterinary surgeons or anyone trained to carry out the procedure. The procedure itself is no more uncomfortable than a standard vaccination injection.

Janet Williams, Torridge District Council's Public Health and Housing Manager said:

"The Check a Chip Days provide residents with an excellent opportunity to ensure their pet's microchip is up to date and working correctly. Unfortunately, pets do go missing, and with the high cost of some pedigrees thieves sometimes target dogs. Anything that can help get a much-loved pet home can only be a good thing and updating the address details for a chip is something some owners have overlooked when moving house, so worth checking. At the same time dog owners with incorrect or unregistered chip information could also face a fine of up to £500 under the microchipping law that came into force in 2016. So why not come along, bring your dog, check your chip, and enjoy a great day out at a show!"

August 2022