This item came as news to me - so I wondered if it deserved a wider audience. Although the compulsory microchipping of dogs in the UK does not come into force for another year, new laws relating to chipping are already in force, but not widely publicised. One of them makes it a criminal offence not to report the fact that a dog's microchip has migrated. It is not an offence as long as the owner is ignorant of the fact, but if it is suspected that the chip has moved, you are advised to have the dog scanned, and if confirmed, to report it online to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Failure to do so could carry a £500 fine! Other aspects of the law relate to the training and qualifications of those who may implant the chips. The specialist dog law solicitor, Trevor Cooper, has confirmed that these provisions are in force, and that they are designed to protect dogs. He said that it makes sense to check that microchips are in the correct place, and that all the paperwork relating to them is in order, and up to date. The Scottish Government are committed to a common approach, and are working out the details of implementation.
This begs the question of how many people bother to get their dog's chip checked to see if it has migrated. Here the chip is registered with the Ministry of Agriculture under the ID number of the owner, and the mandatory rabies shot is also registered under the ID number of the owner - also with the MoA. I always ask for Pereg's chip to be checked when I take her to the vet - and I always get the usual "why" from one of the vet nurses because nobody else does.
If I hadn’t read about this in Dog World, I wouldn’t have known, it beggars belief all the advertising/campaigning that went on to make it compulsory, yet nothing about this, just how is the general public supposed to know and with councils across the country cutting back on more important issues just who is going to monitor this. There are obvious pitfalls regarding the use of the micro-chip as identification, but Chip companies are driven by the profit. I don’t go to the vets unless it’s really necessary so I won’t be going regularly to check if the MC is still there or in right place, besides it can be there one day and gone the next. Quote if it is suspected that the chip has moved, you are advised to have the dog scanned,) how on earth can one ‘suspect’ the chip has moved? Kyra lost hers and I wouldn’t have known if not for the fact we were going to France.
I always intend to get mine checked the next time I visit the vet, but for the last two years I have been so concerned about the reason for my visit, I just haven't given it a thought on the day. No one has ever asked me whether I wanted their microchips checked.
This seems a little bit excessive. I mean how do they know that someone thinks the chip is moved. Most people don't even know about it out at least think about it. As is being mentioned it's not even as if vets ask to check it. Not saying it's their responsibility just the point that people are likely not going to find out too often. What type of "qualifications" do they want. Implanting chips is fairly easy.
@Bulldogs4Life Other regulations state the type of chip which is to be used, ie. must comply with ISO standards. The only people permitted to implant them are a vet. surgeon, vet. nurse, or a person who has already been trained to implant. Any new people wishing to be able to implant microchips must now take a DEFRA (a Govt. body) course. I can't imagine the 'course' taking very long though!
If this was the 1st of April I would have thought it was a April fool joke, its all very well making it an offence not to report it, but unless the person who is doing the scanning is up to date with records its useless, as in my experience , most vets/nurses /dog control and so on, only do a quick scan down the neck..and if no chip is there, they never dream to go over the whole body. All my dogs have been chipped, and ALL the chips have migrated to other parts of the Body...........Figos is currently in the lower part of his left shoulder.
Yes Jackie I have had them move too - you can feel them in thin skinned dogs, like Lurchers and toys. My current two are much thicker skinned, so I wouldn't have a clue - but it seems that ignorance is a defence anyway! I wonder what happens if you do report a migrating one - is the position just marked on the record? Or does the dog need rechipping? Also, what about those chips that stop working? Like the poor lady who took her S. Windhound puppy to a show in Germany, and then couldn't bring him home without going through the whole pet passport procedure again. Fortunately, she met some friendly exhibitors who took him in for the necessary 3 weeks.
Another useless legislation forced upon responsible dog owners who will chip there dog/s anyway. Interesting Article http://www.dogworld.co.uk/product.php/133155/34/a_rethink_on_microchipping__by_lee_connor Quote ‘reporting a migrating chip comes under the umbrella of ‘adverse events’ which must all be reported to the VMD, and these include any health conditions or problems suspected to have been caused by the chips. (Weren’t we assured that there were no possible adverse effects/problems?) Training Course http://www.pet-detect.com/book-a-course
I've done them myself, it's not much more difficult than giving a vaccine. We don't have that type of legislation here.
I know Ziva's chip is now under her left front armpit (not sure if that correct name) my vets have put note on her record. However any changes you make with the chip manufacturers (petlog) like new owner change details new address you are charged admin fees unless you are the breeder. Just because a dog is chipped don't necessary mean the dog wardens know who the dog belongs too.
Far as im aware It's illegal here in the UK to vaccinate your own dogs and I certainly wouldn’t risk MC mine if I hadn’t been trained to do so.
You would think it would make more sense to just ensure that vets and authorities actually scanned the whole body for a chip for the exact reason of migration rather than leaving it to the psychic powers of the owner. I knew someone who lost her husky and managed to locate it at a rescue centre the day it was due to be re-homed, when she asked why they hadn't scanned for a chip they assured her they had and she assured them there would be one present and sure enough when they re-checked doing his whole body they discovered it in his shoulder. I have another friend who's dog has 3 chips because they keep migrating and the vet said its better to keep having him re-done than to run the risk of him getting lost and not being reunited because of a migrated chip that many won't look for. My local authority didn't even used to look for chips as I discovered when at the age of 2 my son let my dogs out, I never got a call and tracked them down myself. A week later they called me telling me that the fine I recieved included a fee for microchipping and asked when would I like to attend to have it done, I informed them that they were already microchipped and had they bothered to check that when they were picked up they would have known that!! However things seem to have changed in that regard too legislation wise and imagine they will now 'have' to do this... ...When I took my pup to the vet for the first time a few weeks ago after collecting him from the breeder, when I said he only needed a health check because the breeder had already had the vaccinations and microchip done she said due to the new legislation called "Harvey's Law" all new dogs attending any vet must be checked for a chip and the details ran to prevent theft and therefore she hoped if he was chipped that the breeder had registered him in my name (which fortunately she had). But is another one that hasn't been widely publicised doing so might actually cut down of thefts in the first place working as a deterrent.
Think your vet has got mixed up. Harvey’s Law” was instigated after a dog called Harvey was sadly struck by a vehicle just 21 minutes after escaping his home. His owners only found out about his unfortunate fate 13 weeks later. Disappointed and angry about the lack of communication and delay in notification, his owners created a petition called “Harvey’s Law”. It calls for a change to the Highways Agency code to make scanning domestic animal remains for a microchip compulsory, and for a log report, including photographs, to be circulated to the Police and local Dog Wardens.. Enforcing these measures through legislation, in other words making it a legal requirement to scan, log, and distribute information about remains, means pet owners can feel assured that everything possible will be done to notify them in case of a road traffic accident. The petition was a success. Pets killed on Britain's roads must now be collected, identified and their owners notified after a government U-turn. “Vets Get Scanning” is a broader appeal, asking for microchip scanning to become standard practice at vets and rescue centres, due to the story of Tia, who went missing in 2011. She ended up at a rehoming centre and subsequently was adopted, despite having an up-to-date microchip with her owners’ details on it. Tia’s owners only found out that their dog was alive and well when they received a call from the microchip database to tell them that her new owners wanted to update the microchip details! Despite Tia’s owners making it clear that they want their dog back, the new owners have refused and the case is now going to the Small Claims Court. Had the rescue centre scanned the dog on arrival and attempted to contact her owners in the first place, this could have been avoided. The Petition for Compulsory MC scanning has now closed sadly it only got 26,000 signatures so didn’t make the target. I believe they are starting again in May but as of now there is no law for compulsory MC scanning.
Thanks GsdSlave, she told me it was called Harvey's Law - Oh well! Compulsary Microchipping will be law from April 2016.
Not sure why they wouldn't scan the whole body or at least the frontal area. I don't know how common it is for them to do so. It's probably very common for them just do the neck but I know some WILL scan down the shoulders and legs. It'd make more sense if everyone would do this it. It only takes a few seconds. I'm thinking of purchasing a scanner so I can check myself. Well I thought of it few years back but never bought the scanner. I usually have the vet check. When I chip my pups for new owners I have the vet check to make sure it's working while getting the health cert. If it's my own dog I try to remember while they get their rabies or whatever to ask that way I can make sure the chip works & where it is at. Another important thing is to try and keep your dog "tagged", the chip usually has a tag letting others know your dog is chipped & also the chip number. Though I found my Caucasian Ovcharka's chip tag in the dirt in the yard a week after it went missing from her collar so that does always help either.
My dogs have, 'Microchipped', engraved on the reverse of their ID tags. Of course, this wouldn't help if the tag, or even the collar, went missing!
My cats were chipped when they were neutered by our Neuter Commuter. A big bus run by the county to do low cost spaying and neutering. It was required by them but is not an actual law, that I know of, in the U.S. So, my dogs are not chipped. When I had Joey neutered a few years ago by a vet he was not chipped. About 6mos. after cat Asher was done I got a call from animal control that they had him as he had gotten caught in a humane trap. They had him only overnight. It cost me 77.00 to break him out of jail and they had re-done his rabies vaccine. At first I refused to pay for it, but I had to pay or they refused to release him and it would have been more to pay every extra day he was there. I was told that every animal gets the rabies vaccine before they even scan for a chip. Made no sense to me. Just another way for the powers that be to make money.
I agree. Mine is chipped but they didn't even check. I had to call and was initially told "nope she's not here" then received a call back -that was a mistake. It was $50 something, plus $20 for the rabies I think. It is ridiculous. Really they may might get sued one day. Over vaccination is unnecessary and many places have 1-2 rabies requirements even though rabies vaccine is proven to provide immunity for many years. Anyway some pets are allergic or have reactions to vaccine so if they go sticking an already vaccinated dog/cat resulting in injured pet I wonder if the person would have a case.
