“My purebred collie gave birth to four healthy pups about three months ago. I plan to keep them and rear them to be good working sheepdogs. Do I need to get my pups microchipped?”

Yes, you must make sure that your dogs are microchipped. Laws were implemented this year requiring all dog owners to ensure that all dogs are microchipped and that the chip is correctly registered from 31 March 2016.

All dog owners must have a certificate proving that each dog is microchipped and registered as such. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that their contact details are maintained on one of the Government-approved databases.

ADVERTISEMENT

The introduction of this law has meant it has been illegal since 1 September 2015 to buy or acquire ownership of a pup that has not been microchipped and correctly registered. Local authorities, authorised officers and An Garda Síochána will be responsible for enforcing the law. Vets will also be asking dog owners to ensure that their dogs are microchipped.

Offending owners who fail to comply with these regulations can face fines up to €5,000. The average cost of a getting a dog microchipped at the vet was €25, though the cost of the procedure can range from €12 to €30 in the various animal health practices.