Veterinary surgeons have been out in force across Britain to celebrate National Microchipping Month in June, urging pet owners to get their animals microchipped and registered.

Events were organised by the Kennel Club at the Houses of Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Scottish Parliament to promote the KC’s “Chip it, Check it” awareness campaign.

BVA and BSAVA vets met with Ministers, parliamentarians, and animal owners to promote microchipping and to talk about the importance of making sure contact details are up to date on the microchip database.

In Westminster BVA Past President Peter Jones met with Defra Minister Lord de Mauley and MPs; in Cardiff BVA Welsh Branch President Rob Davies met with Rural Affairs Minister Alun Davies and AMs; and in Edinburgh BVA Scottish Branch President Ronnie Soutar and BSAVA Vice President Tricia Colville met with Environment Secretary Paul Wheelhouse, Kenneth Gibson MSP, and other MSPs.

BVA and BSAVA are members of the Microchipping Alliance which is chaired by the Dogs Trust and has successfully campaigned for the compulsory microchipping of all dogs in England and Wales. The Scottish Government is currently reviewing a consultation on changing the law, and in Northern Ireland compulsory microchipping of dogs was introduced in April 2012.

Commenting, BVA President Robin Hargreaves said: “Microchipping is an essential part of responsible pet ownership as it provides a safe, effective and permanent way to reunite owners with their lost animals. But microchips are only as useful as the information held on the database so the Kennel Club’s ‘Chip it, Check it’ campaign is a great way to highlight the importance of keeping your details up to date.

“We’re pleased to see how engaged parliamentarians across Great Britain have been in supporting this campaign and we hope veterinary practices up and down the country are using National Microchipping Month to let their clients know about the benefits of microchipping.”

BSAVA Vice President Tricia Colville said: “The British Small Animal Association has always been an advocate of microchipping as the most effective way to permanently identify an animal, provided owners keep their details are up-to-date on the registration database.

“Everyone’s lives are so busy, and BSAVA wanted to help remind pet owners of the importance of keeping their pet’s chip details current. So we were delighted to join with MPs, the BVA and the Kennel Club to launch the ‘Chip it, Check it’ campaign, which will hopefully encourage more people to do just that – it will take a lot of stress away from pets, their owners, and their vets.”

For more information visit www.nationalmicrochippingmonth.org.uk

Pictured top: BVA Welsh Branch President Rob Davies (left) with Ricci Morgan, owner of the Japanese Akita Inu puppies, at the event outside the Senedd.

Above: BVA Past President Peter Jones (left) and Defra Minister Lord de Mauley at the event in Westminster.

Below: Kenneth Gibson MSP, BVA Scottish Branch President Ronnie Soutar, BSAVA Vice President Tricia Colville, Environment Secretary Paul Wheelhouse MSP, at the event in Holyrood.