I will always remember meeting a little dog called Holly while working in Dublin – she was a little cutie but what made her really special was that after disappearing from her home in Dublin she tuned up in London – 9 months later. Holly had been taken from her family home and brought to the UK by ferry some time after that. She subsequently turned up in Battersea Dogs Home in London where she was scanned and found to be microchipped. This meant her owner in Dublin was contacted and after an emotional reunion with her mum she was brought safely back home. Whenever someone seems hesitant about microchipping a pet I tell them this story. Microchipping is a once off procedure and can give you a lifetime’s peace of mind.
A change to Irish legislation now means that from March 2016 all dogs will by law have to be microchipped and registered.
At Briarhill Veterinary Clinic we believe this is a good thing for Ireland’s dogs and although the legislation does not extend to cats we would strongly recommend doing the same for your feline friends.
From 1st September 2015 all puppies over 12 weeks of age must be microchipped and registered on a Government Approved Database before they are sold or supplied and the breeder must supply the purchaser with a certificate of microchip registration and change of ownership form.
Also when being sold or rehomed the owner must supply a certificate of registration and complete a change of ownership form.
A microchip that’s not registered on an Approved Database is no use – there’s no way of telling who the owner is – and also it’s not legal. We can check your pet’s microchip registration – there is no charge for this but sometimes the database will charge a small fee if information needs to be updated.
No microchip? No problem!
Briarhill Veterinary Clinic can microchip and register your pet for just €30, with discounts for litters. Offer available until 1st January 2016. Call us on 091 380000 to book.
