Micro-chip Service - Why the dog microchipping system is failing to work
The dog microchipping system which insists all pets have to carry identity token embedded under their skin is failing to work because of flaws in the process and holes in the law. At Grah Kingston we are providing quality Cat & Dog Micro Chip Services. We are known as one of the best dog and cat Micro Chip vet clinics in Kingston.
Having struggled to come to terms with that heartache, they
say the government’s pet micro-chipping system has made things worse. This is
because the databases appear to show Ruby and Beetle have been scanned, but the
system does not insist that vets must contact the registered owners, so Georgie
and Ed have no idea where the scans might have taken place.
If we could get some sort of location, at least then it
would maybe answer a few questions and we could piece another piece of the
jigsaw together to where they went on that day. You get your dogs microchipped
because you think this is the magical tool that’s going to reunite you with
your dog and it hasn’t been the magical tool. It’s let us down.
The pet micro-chipping system has come into criticism from
other quarters too, including from the daughter of the late Sir Bruce Forsyth,
Debbie Matthews, who lost her dog, Gizmo, in 2006. She now campaigns to
make it easier for owners to track down their lost pets. We all assume that
when we microchip our pets that there’s a safety net out there for us.
If a stolen dog has been sold onto an unsuspecting owner,
the owner doesn’t know the dog’s stolen and the vet doesn’t know the dog is
stolen, unless they check the microchip registration and that’s where the
system falls. Currently, there are 13 separate databases recording dog
micro-chips, and both Debbie and the British Veterinary Association agree
the system needs to change to having just a single database.
The microchip system as a whole is not fit for drive. There
are so many holes and gaps. And anybody can start up another database and there
aren’t sufficient regulations. It is very complicated and it is a broken
system. It makes vets’ lives and anyone who is involved in reunification
harder. And it is also being heartache for owners, sometimes. And I think it is
really important that we put pressure on there being a single point of entry, a
single database.
Every liable dog owner wants to ensure their pet is safe and
microchips are often the only hope of finding dogs that are lost or stolen. Since
necessary microchipping for dogs came into force in 2016, we have seen a clear
drop in the number of stray dogs on the streets and an increase in the number
of lost or stolen pets reunited with their owners. We urge all dog owners to
ensure that their dogs are microchipped and the details on their chip are up to
date.
If you have any questions regarding microchipping or wish to
make an appointment for your pet visit our Animal
Hospital in Kingston. At GRAH, we routinely provide microchipping
service to pets in an easy and relatively painless manner.