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....following prosecutions.
Dog owners are being reminded that it is a legal requirement to microchip their dogs and ensure the details stored on it are up to date – failure to do so could lead to a prosecution and fine.
The reminder follows recent prosecutions by Wiltshire Council’s Dog Warden Team.
Microchipping is in place to enable identification of a dog and helps authorities reunite stray pets with their owners. Updated microchips also act as a deterrent to dog theft and give vets and officials the ability to easily contact an owner in an emergency. Microchipping for dogs over eight weeks of age was made compulsory in England, Scotland and Wales in April 2016.
Charlotte Gumm (39) from Trowbridge, failed to appear at Salisbury Magistrates Court on Thursday 10 April and was found guilty in her absence to failing to comply with a notice requiring her to update her dog’s ownership details on the microchip database. She was fined £220 and ordered to pay costs of £584.69 to Wiltshire Council and a victim surcharge of £88.
Her dog, Stella, was collected as a stray in September 2023 and April 2024. On each occasion, Stella was taken to the council’s holding kennels as the incorrect ownership details were stored on the microchip database. Ms Gumm contacted the holding kennels and provided proof of ownership and paid the appropriate fees. She was served with notices on three separate occasions requiring her to update the information on the database within 21 days.
Despite multiple attempts by the council’s dog wardens to contact Ms Gumm via letter, phone and email, the details on the database were not updated.
Nathan Ashton (40) also from Trowbridge, appeared at Salisbury Magistrates Court. He pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a notice requiring him to update his dog’s ownership details on the microchip database. He was fined £50, ordered to pay costs of £50 and a victim surcharge of £20. Mr Ashton immediately updated his dog’s microchip following the hearing.
His dog, Ronnie, was collected as a stray in August 2024 and taken to the holding kennels as the correct ownership could not be traced by the wardens, as the incorrect details were found to be on the microchip database. Mr Ashton contacted the holding kennels and provided proof of ownership and paid the appropriate fees. He was also served with a notice requiring him to update the information on the database within 21 days but failed to do so.