Dog owners are being encouraged to get their dogs micro-chipped for free in response to new legislation put forward by the Government.
All dogs will legally have to be micro-chipped as of April 2016 to help maintain identification of owned dogs across the country.
The new legislation means that if a stray dog is found not to have been chipped, it will be taken to the nearest kennel, costing the owner a minimum of £80 to have the dog released.
Lincoln MS Centre is one of many locations across the country throwing dog owners a bone by offering a series of free micro-chipping sessions, to let owners get the dog chipped before the law comes into power.
Lincolnshire Police has praised the free sessions, with Guy Mucuscoe, a community support police officer, saying the sessions “make the police work easier, and its good to encourage people to use the opportunity to get it done for free. It could set you back £30 if you get it done with a Veterinary service.”
The legislation is being passed in an attempt to keep a lid on the amount of unidentified stray dogs being handed in to kennels, and the police have had a rough time controlling the rise in incidents.
The free sessions have been running every second Wednesday of the month since October 2014, which encourages dog owners from chasing their tails, and helps them get their dog safely chipped for free.
