MISSING / STOLEN  CATS & DOGS

Petition: Make Microchip Scanning Mandatory at Every Veterinary Appointment
We are calling for a change in the law to make it compulsory for every veterinary practice in the UK to scan all cats and dogs when they are brought into their care — regardless of whether the owner says the animal is already microchipped.

A simple microchip scan could help prevent stolen pets from being unknowingly treated, sold on or registered to the wrong person.

At present, an owner saying “my dog/cat is chipped” should not be enough. How does anyone know that the chip belongs to that animal, or that the person presenting the animal is its rightful owner?

Microchips can be checked in seconds, yet this simple step could make an enormous difference.

We want:
🐾 Every cat and dog to be scanned at every veterinary practice visit, including emergencies, routine appointments and when registering with a new vet.

🐾 The microchip number to be checked against the animal's veterinary records and registered details where appropriate.

🐾 If a chip is missing, unreadable or registered to someone other than the person presenting the animal, appropriate checks should be carried out.

🐾 Veterinary practices to have a clear procedure for raising concerns where an animal may be stolen, unlawfully obtained or incorrectly registered.

🐾 Greater cooperation between vets, microchip databases, animal charities, police and owners when a potentially stolen or missing animal is identified.

Why is this important?
People often assume that if a cat or dog has a microchip, that means the animal is safe and its identity is confirmed. It doesn't.

A stolen animal could already have a microchip. The chip could belong to the previous owner, could have been registered incorrectly, or the person presenting the animal may not be the rightful owner.

Scanning should not be about accusing people. It should be about protecting animals.

Every year, families are left devastated when their beloved pets disappear. Some never know what happened to them. Others may unknowingly encounter their stolen pet years later.

A mandatory scan at the vets would create another important safeguard and another opportunity to identify an animal that may have been reported missing or stolen.

🐶🐱 A microchip is an animal's identity — so let's actually check it.
We believe this should become a standard, compulsory safeguarding procedure in every veterinary practice across the UK.

Scan every animal. Check every chip. Protect every pet.

Please sign and share this petition. One simple scan could be the difference between a family never seeing their pet again and finally bringing them home. ❤️🐾