Statistics have been released that reveal that almost four fifths of UK stray dogs are not microchipped

Last year 126,000 stray dogs were handled by local authorities and 7,500 were put to sleep, despite the introduction of microchipping twenty three years ago to help tackle the problem of stray dogs.

What dog owners may not know is that there is a statutory £25+ fee for a stray dog to be returned from local authorities, and after seven days this increases dramatically. More worryingly, however, for owners of non-microchipped dogs is that after seven days, if a dog is not claimed they may be rehomed or, in some cases, even put down.

Denmark, the first country to have introduced compulsory microchipping for dogs, requires that every puppy has to be microchipped before the age of eight weeks and no dog is allowed to leave its mother before that age. In 2010, according to the database in Denmark, there were no stray dogs, a couple of hundred dogs lost and very few abandoned.

National Microchipping Month takes place throughout June, Petlog are offering its customers the opportunity to upgrade to Petlog Premium for just £7.50 when they upgrade online (normally £10). Find out more about National Microchipping Month.

A full list of facts and figures on microchip numbers is available from the BVA.