New microchip laws for dogs in force today

DOG owners could face fines totalling more than £500 from today, after new laws on dog ownership came into force.

Owners of dogs that aren’t microchipped could be fined up to £500 if they don’t microchip their dog.

The legislation affects all dogs aged eight weeks and older in England, Wales and Scotland – Northern Ireland introduced a similar law in 2012.

Recent figures suggest 1.16m dogs still aren’t microchipped, despite a 70 per cent increase in the number pets being microchipped in the last month.

Currently figures suggest 1.16m dogs are un-microchipped, meaning owners of these pets could face a fine of up to £500, a total of £580m.