“Big Brother” Loves Dogs Too

As technology continues to grow, spreading into almost every area of our lives, our four-legged partners we share this planet with are no more immune to its reach than we are. Across the U.K. micro­chipping your dog has now become law, making it mandatory for dog owners to microchip their dogs.

Dog owners living in England, Scotland and Wales are now required to microchip their dogs or face a fine up to 500 pounds. The primary purpose or motivation for this is to get a handle on a growing problem of stray dogs across the U.K. There is no doubt that the benefits of such a mandatory program are obvious, as it is “hoped more stray dogs can be reunited with their owners.”

Microchips are pretty much the same here in the U.S. as they are in the U.K. They are no bigger than a grain of rice usually inserted in the loose skin on the back of a dog's neck giving it a unique code to identify the animal with.

Countries like Northern Ireland have had compulsory micro­chipping in place since 2012. They have reported a reasonable decrease in their stray dog populations since its implementation.

Nobody generally likes the word “mandatory” in front of any statement when it means they have to do something opposed to wanting to, but I do believe in this case George Eustice, the Animal Welfare Minister, summed it up the best: “We are a nation of dog lovers and we want to make sure they stay safe.”