Dog owner prosecuted for failing to register pet's microchip details

A dog owner who failed to register her pet's microchip details has been forced to pay out more than £350 after being successfully prosecuted by Chelmsford City Council.

Charlotte Ward, of Kings Road, Chelmsford, came to the attention of the council after her German Shepherd-Husky cross went missing.

The pooch was brought to the council's out-of-hours dog service and scanned for a chip but its details were not registered.

Ward was only reunited with her canine companion when she called to report the loss - her failure to properly register the dog resulted in her being taken to court.

The case, which is the first prosecution the council has brought for failure to microchip a dog, was heard at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court.

Although the dog was microchipped and registered with the Petlog database before being sold by a breeder, the transfer of keepership was never completed.

Petlog sent out forms and gave the new owners 28 days to update their details - however, Ward did not return these forms and Petlog removed the details from their database.

Ward, who did not attend court, has been fined £220, ordered to pay costs of £125 and a victim surcharge of £30.

Councillor Susan Sullivan, cabinet member for safer communities, said: "Dog microchipping helps to reunite owners with lost or stolen dogs.

"It prevents them from being left on the streets or in kennels because owners can't be traced.

"When you buy a dog, ask for proof that a chip has been fitted and make sure you update the database with your details as the new owner."

By law, dogs in England must be microchipped by a trained professional before they are eight weeks old.