Viewpoint: microchipping dogs

Published on 07 February 2013

Katherine Linney is Head Vet at the University of Liverpool's Veterinary Practice

"Microchipping is a relatively painless procedure that involves the insertion of a small chip under the skin in the scruff of the neck.

"The microchip itself is about the size of a grain of rice. This carries a unique code for each pet that can be scanned at any point in the animal’s life and provides the owner’s address, details and telephone number on a confidential database.

"It is an extremely efficient way of locating owners of stray or lost dogs and also provides a source of ownership identity for pets.

"This method of identification cannot be easily removed and does not create visible changes to the dog such as an identity tattoo would.

"It is a fantastic way of identification and the practice fully supports the new legislation due to be introduced in 2016."

Full story on BBC website