Microchipping alone is not enough!

*Warning: Images of cruelty on this page

There are around 10 million dogs owned in the UK. Many dogs have kind and caring owners who receive great love and companionship from their dogs. However, there are an increasing number of dogs of all shapes and sizes being acquired by irresponsible owners.
 

It is 25 years since the UK Government scrapped dog registration, a move that saw dogs relegated in status below that of cars and TVs. Since then the RSPCA, other animal rescues, dog attack victims and of course, the dogs themselves, have been left to pay the price.  

Just think how much suffering could have been prevented, or their owners held to account, if mandatory registration had not been abolished. 

But haven't the government introduced compulsory microchipping? 

Microchipping alone is not enough. Many abandoned animals have microchips, but inadequate and out of date records mean owners are unreachable or can simply claim that they ‘gave the dog away years ago’. The RSPCA is calling for the reintroduction of a mandatory dog registration system but it is vital that details be centrally held in a government run database which is kept up to date if it is to be effective.
 

Dog registration would improve dog welfare across the board by:

• Holding the irresponsible owners to account for acts of cruelty or neglect
• Promote neutering and in turn reduce the amount of unwanted animals
• Challenging impulse buys of animals who may then end up neglected or abandoned
• Helping to end the trade in puppies from puppy farms and other unscrupulous sources
• Providing resources to enforce the law and promote dog welfare.

All this suffering could be avoided, at the price of one chocolate bar a week!

Most kind dog owners care about the welfare of all dogs, and would be happy to pay the equivalent of a chocolate bar a week, in order to drastically improve the welfare of those dogs unfortunate enough to be owned by an irresponsible or cruel owner. After all, dogs can’t help who their owners are! 

Take action!

Millions of dogs continue to suffer due to government’s failure to take meaningful action on this issue. Imagine how many more dogs will suffer if we have to wait another 20 years for a revision of the law! Click the button to support The Sun's 'Safer Dogs' campaign!