All Dogs must be micro-chipped, RSPCA says
Pastor Dale Morgan
All Dogs must be micro-chipped, RSPCA says*
Last Updated: 2:29AM BST 04/06/2008
UK - The Government is being urged to consider the compulsory
microchipping of dogs to reduce the number of strays and help combat
irresponsible owners.
If that failed to solve the problems, mandatory licences could be the
solution, David Bowles, the RSPCA's head of external affairs, said.
"Why do we still have a stray animal problem? Why do we have an
increasing dangerous dog problem? The answer has to come down to
education, enforcement of legislation and, in certain cases,
microchipping and dog licensing," he said.
He was speaking outside the charity's summer conference in central
London, which was told of a surge in the number of the animals used for
fighting.
The RSPCA received 358 calls about dog fights in 2007 – more than twice
as many as in the previous year and 15 times more than in 2004.
The number of people treated for dog bites at hospitals in England rose
by 40 per cent in four years to 3,800 in 2007.