With thousands of stray dogs unable to be reunited with their families due to outdated or incorrect microchip details each year, charity Dogs Trust is urging pet owners to check the chip and ensure all contact details registered are both correct and up to date.
According to the which was released on 15 August, approximately 28,015 stray dogs were handled by local authority dog wardens last year. While half of these dogs were reunited with their owners, a total of about 4,352 microchipped dogs were not as lucky – simply because the owner’s contact details held on the microchip database were incorrect.
Dogs Trust is now calling on all owners to ensure that their dog’s microchip details are updated to ensure they can be quickly reunited with their owners if they do go missing.
Adam Clowes, Director of Operations at Dogs Trust, says, “When a dog goes missing it is incredibly stressful for their owners and families. However, ensuring their microchip details are kept up to date gives owners the best opportunity of being reunited with their canine friend should the worst happen, and they go missing.
“Our Stray Dogs Survey found that thousands of dogs are handled by local authority dog wardens every year. While many are microchipped, a large number sadly couldn’t be reunited with their owners simply because their microchip details were not up to date.
“It’s simple to update the details for your dog’s microchip; you can do it online, by telephone or by post, depending on which database your chip is registered to. This quick check will give you the best possible chance of being reunited with your dog if the worst does happen.”
Since 2016, Dogs Trust adds, that “all dogs are microchipped, and the chip must be linked to the owner’s current contact information”. In addition, all dogs need to wear a collar and tag that states the name and address of the owner when in a public place.