There are currently more than 70,000 pets missing in the UK, according to Petlog, which has this week revealed its Lost Pet Map to kick-start National Microchipping Month...

Petlog, the UK’s largest lost and found database for microchipped pets, found that 16,122 dogs and 55,038 cats reported missing between 2003 to May 2014 have yet to be reunited with their owner.

However, during the same time period a total of more than 60,000 dogs and over 100,000 cats were reported missing. That means, according to the Petlog database, 75% of dogs and 45 % of cats were reunited thanks to their microchip.

The Lost Pet Map highlights regions in the country with high numbers of missing pets which haven't yet been reunited with their owners. The main reason why pets aren’t successfully returned home is because their owners fail to keep their contact details up to date with their microchip database.

The majority were reported lost or stolen in England (13,842 dogs and 50,581 cats), followed by Wales (2,201 cats and 1,116 dogs), Scotland (1,944 cats and 665 dogs) and Northern Ireland (483 dogs and 158 cats). The South East is the region with the most missing pets with more than 10,000 cats and over 2,000 dogs currently missing. This was followed by London with more than 7,000 cats and 1,500 dogs currently missing. The North East has the fewest missing pets but still has over 1,000 cats and more than 700 dogs reported missing.

The statistics would have been a lot higher if the dogs were not microchipped, as in the South East over 7,000 dogs were lost and reunited with their owner during the same time period, and over 4,000 reunited in London.

The research also looked at the areas with the most microchipped pets and found that Lancashire is the county with the most microchipped pets. As well as the common companion animals featured on the database – other animals microchipped with Petlog included 11,000 ferrets, 23 elephants, 45 meerkats and 144 skunks.

For over ten years Petlog, which is managed by the Kennel Club, has been running National Microchipping Month throughout June to raise the profile of pet microchipping and its benefits, and also to educate pet owners about how it works, the need to keep contact details up to date and how to get the most out of a lost and found database.   

Celia Walsom, Petlog Executive said: “The statistics are shocking that so many pets are currently missing in the UK. A microchip is a wonderful thing and helps to reunite tens of thousands of pets with their owners but it is not a magic wand and will not work if pet owners do not keep their contact details up to date with their microchipping database. A lot of families move house and change phone numbers making it impossible to reunite their pets in a lot of cases.

"National Microchipping Month aims to educate pet owners around the country and encourage them to engage with their vets and microchip databases to learn more about microchipping and how it directly affects them and their pet.

"The Lost Pet Map is to highlight the areas with the most lost pets and to encourage pet owners to check their contact details to ensure they give themselves the best possible chance of being reunited with their pet in the unfortunate event that their pet goes missing."

To find out more about National Microchipping Month visit www.nationalmicrochippingmonth.org.uk