To mark National Microchip Awareness Month, cat and dog owners are being encouraged to put Thursday 26th June into their diaries to come along to Bideford’s Victoria Park (George V Playing Field) between 8:00 am and 10:00 am and Torrington Commons (Old Bowling Green) between 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm, to get their pet’s microchip checked by Torridge District Council’s Neighbourhood Officers.
Ensuring cat and dog microchips have the most current information is designed to keep people’s pets safe and greatly increase the likelihood of a lost animal being reunited with their owners.
Since June 2024, cats over 20 weeks and dogs over 8 weeks old are legally required to have an up-to-date microchip with the cat or dog’s details uploaded to an approved UK database. Breeders must also ensure that their kittens and puppies are microchipped before they 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 scanned by a hand-held reader. The 15-digit identification code can then be checked against the microchip databases to quickly identify the owner. Microchipping is a relatively simple process undertaken by all veterinary surgeons or anyone trained to carry out the procedure. The procedure is no more uncomfortable than a standard vaccination injection.
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