You’ll be able to get your canine companion microchipped for free at Dogs Trust Manchester this weekend in the lead up to it becoming a legal requirement on April 6.
The Denton centre of the UK’s largest dog welfare charity is urging owners to take advantage of this service at their event on Sunday, February 21 as it is ‘hugely important’ to preventing lost dogs being unnecessarily put down.
The drop-in service, available from 10am – 4pm, will provide free chips to local dog owners while charity representatives will also be on hand to offer advice and promote responsible dog ownership.
Veterinary Director Paula Boyden said: “As the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust is striving for the day when all dogs can be free from the threat of unnecessary destruction.
“Microchipping is the most effective permanent way to assist in a lost dog being returned to their owner which in turn reduces the number of healthy dogs unnecessarily put to sleep.
“To ensure lost dogs have the best possible chance of being swiftly reunited with their owner, it is hugely important that owners ensure their dog always wears a collar and a tag displaying their contact details, and that they keep their microchip database details up to date.
“Dogs Trust has committed to ensuring dog owners have access to free microchipping at one of our many drop-in events across the country and at our 20 rehoming centres across the UK before it becomes compulsory.”
Compulsory microchipping will become law in England, Wales and Scotland on April 6 2016, which means it will be a legal requirement for owners to ensure their dog is microchipped by this date and the details on the microchip database are kept up-to-date.
Paula added: “For many years Dogs Trust has campaigned tirelessly to bring about the introduction of compulsory microchipping and registration.
“Therefore, we are very pleased to welcome the legislation, which will go a long way to improving dog welfare and responsible ownership.”
Microchipping is a simple and effective tool which helps to rapidly reunite lost or straying pets with their owners.
This in turn reduces the number of healthy dogs unnecessarily put to sleep and saves money for local authorities by cutting kennelling costs.
To find out more please contact Dogs Trust Manchester on 0161 337 3600.
