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a side of chips
Own a dog? You have to microchip it very soon
The government is providing €100,000 to charities who provide the service.
THE DEPARTMENT OF Agriculture is going to make €100,000 available to charities to assist in microchipping dogs.
Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said charities “with a proven track record in this work are eligible to apply for funding”.
Under new regulations owners must ensure that:
- All pups born from June 2015 onwards are microchipped by the age of 12 weeks
- All pups being offered for sale must be identified by way of microchip from September onwards
- All dogs in the country must be microchipped from March 2016 onwards
“Under the regulations, owners must not just ensure their dog is microchipped, they must also ensure that they are registered with correct contact details on an authorised database,” Coveney said.
Puppy farms
Speaking at the animal welfare conference held in Farmleigh today, Coveney also announced that a joint inspection regime of puppy farms involving veterinary inspectors from his department and local authorities has commenced in recent weeks.
Over 50% of registered establishments have now been inspected and inspections are ongoing. The department has also undertaken a number of inspections with the various NGOs.
Coveney told told delegates: “When sourcing dogs, there are many charitable organisations such as Dogs Trust, DSPCA and ISPCA and many others who are involved in the rescue and re-homing of dogs, where you can acquire a pet suitable to your circumstances. In addition, there are many responsible breeders you can go to where you can be confident that the health and welfare of the animals have been well looked after.
These responsible breeders will be happy to show you the dogs in their home environment and can provide suitable supporting documentation in relation to the dog’s health, vaccination status, microchip number and registration.
You should avoid buying dogs from unknown individuals and of unknown provenance as these are less likely to have been bred in a welfare satisfactory environment.”
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