Government Response

The Government responded to this petition on Thursday 7th May 2020

The Government understands the distress that the death of a pet can cause and is considering scanning requirements, as part of the Post Implementation Review of the microchipping regulations.

We agree that no dog should be put down unless there are extenuating reasons for having to do so.

Paragraphs 8.9 and 8.10 of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Code of Conduct provides advice to vets on euthanizing animals when the owner is not present. A link to the RCVS’ Code of Conduct can be found here:

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/code-of-professional-conduct-for-veterinary-surgeons/supporting-guidance/euthanasia-of-animals/

Every responsible dog owner wants to ensure their pet is safe and microchips are often the only hope of finding dogs that are lost or stolen. It is a legal requirement for all owners to microchip their dogs, and to enter the details onto a database. Since compulsory microchipping for dogs came into force in 2016, we have seen a clear drop in the number of stray dogs on the streets and an increase in the number of lost or stolen pets reunited with their owners.

British Veterinary Association (BVA) best practice is that vets should scan dogs on first presentation at their practice, and at other regular intervals including prior to euthanasia, where euthanasia is deemed the appropriate course of action by the veterinary expert. BVA’s website sets out their position on scanning:

https://www.bva.co.uk/News-campaigns-and-policy/Policy/Companion-animals/Microchipping/

The guidance includes advice on what a vet should do if the details of the person presenting the dog are different to what is recorded on the database, and what to do when stray or lost animals are brought to the practice by checking the microchipping databases in order to reunite the animal with their owner.

Although the Government considers that advice from BVA and RCVS provides veterinary professionals with helpful guidance on conducting appropriate scanning, the Government is considering proposals for the compulsory scanning of dogs before euthanasia by vets as part of the ongoing Post Implementation Review of The Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/300025)

Parliamentary Debate

This petition has reached the threshold for a Parliamentary debate, but the debate has not yet been scheduled.