Microchipping Your Dog in Ireland

Is your dog microchipped?

The new law for microchipping came into practice in April 2016. This law states that you must microchip your dog and have it registered with a government-approved database ASAP. To sell a dog you must produce a registered certificate. To buy a dog you must legally transfer ownership or chip it. It’s the law now. Owners caught with a non-microchipped dog will have a short period of time to get their dog chipped. Those who choose not to chip their dog will face fines or up to six months in jail. Those indicted will face bigger fines and longer sentencing.

My dog isn’t microchipped

You should microchip your dog immediately. It’s really easy. Most vets are registered to microchip your dog, so shop around. Prices range from €20-€50 - much cheaper than a €5,000 fine.

The owner of the dog has to be present during this procedure and they must bring photo ID and a recent proof of address with them. This is to ensure that the details registered on the database are correct and up-to-date. It also means that only the registered chipper input these details on the database so they cannot be falsified.

The actual procedure for the dog is relatively painless, akin to a vaccination. The vet will ask if the dog has been microchipped before and they’ll check just to be on the safe side. Assuming no chip is there, they’ll then inject the microchip into the back of the neck. The dog will barely feel it.

Then the vet will scan the chip to make sure it’s active and attach a sticker of the corresponding barcode onto the certificate and they’ll register the details on the database. It takes about 10 minutes at most.

Important: You cannot go online and register your dog anymore.

Who are the Government Approved Databases:

• Animark

• Fido

• The Irish Coursing Club

• The Irish Kennel Club

My dog is already chipped

You do not need to rechip your dog but you will need to contact your database and request a new certificate. You may need to pay a small fee to obtain it.

If you do not know your dog’s microchip number or if your dog was previously chipped, your local vet should scan for free. If you don’t know your database, you can go here and search for the number.

Benefits of Microchipping

On the surface, the major benefit is for the return of lost dogs. A simple scan of the chip and the dog is returned to his owners.

But, it’s the dog’s welfare that benefits the most from microchipping.

• As of this month, all dogs must be chipped. If you’re buying a pup, the seller must provide a registered certificate, which means you are getting a legally acquired dog. This will, in time, put illegal and unscrupulous puppy farms out of business.

• It will act as a deterrent to abandoned dogs and help lower the number of stray dogs in pounds.

• It will also help reduce the cost to farmers and make dog owners accountable for their dogs attacking sheep, as this can be a costly issue.

Naturally, there will be a few initial teething problems as there are with any new laws brought in, but long term, this law will benefit all dogs and hopefully decrease the number of unwanted dogs in this country.

More details can be found here: https://www.fido.ie/chipcheck and www.ncm.ie