New micro-chipping laws for dog owners come into play today

The legislation affects all dogs aged eight weeks and older, with recent figures claiming more than 1m canines across the country are not micro-chipped.

Dr Huw Stacey, director of clinical services at Vets4Pets, said: “Any dog owner with an un-microchipped pet now faces a significant fine, but it is our advice to avoid this completely and comply with the law.

“Inserting a microchip is an easy and simple procedure, and is nothing for the owner or pet to worry about.

“It’s only about the size of a grain of rice. Every microchip has a unique 15-digit code to identify the dog’s owner and is designed to last the lifetime of the pet.

“The details are stored on databases which are accessible to relevant professionals.”