Get your pet chipped, say vets

At Westminster former British Veterinary AssociationPresident ( BVA) Peter Jones met with Defra Minister Lord de Mauley and MPs, as part of National Microchipping Month.

There were also meetings and events at the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.

After changes in the law, it is compulsory for dogs in England, Northern Ireland and Wales to be microchipped.

BVA President Robin Hargreaves said:

“Microchipping is an essential part of responsible pet ownership as it provides a safe, effective and permanent way to reunite owners with their lost animals. But microchips are only as useful as the information held on the database so the Kennel Club’s ‘Chip it, Check it’ campaign is a great way to highlight the importance of keeping your details up to date.

“We’re pleased to see how engaged parliamentarians across Great Britain have been in supporting this campaign and we hope veterinary practices up and down the country are using National Microchipping Month to let their clients know about the benefits of microchipping.”

The British Small Animal Association also advocates microchipping as the most effective way to permanently identify an animal, provided owners keep their details are up-to-date on the registration database.

“Everyone’s lives are so busy, and BSAVA wanted to help remind pet owners of the importance of keeping their pet’s chip details current,” said BSAVA Vice President Tricia Colville.

“So we were delighted to join with MPs, the BVAand the Kennel Club to launch the ‘Chip it, Check it’ campaign, which will hopefully encourage more people to do just that – it will take a lot of stress away from pets, their owners, and their vets.”