→ 24 Apr 12 at 5 am
‘In continuation of a proposal first pushed by Labour, the Coalition Government are going full force behind plans to microchip all puppies in England with details of the owner. The reason? They claim it will help reduce attacks by dangerous dogs, but this flies in the face of all common sense and basic facts.

The controversial chips that are implanted under the animal’s skin will store the name and address of the owner, as well as a unique number to identify the dog in a database open to the RSPCA, a charity that ordinarily would be breaching data protection laws by accessing the information. As well as all puppies, the proposal seeks to chip existing dogs before they can be sold on or handed in to rescue centres. According to estimates the procedure will cost between £5 and £35.
Although the likes of Government mouthpiece the BBC are repeating the proposal ever hour, stating that “some dog charities say it just isn’t enough”, ministers and mainstream media outlets completely fail to address the fundamental question. How will microchipping tackle the problem of dangerous dogs? Why is it even part of their plans?
The Blue Cross pet charity have been framed in to the debate to bolster the proposal because they support legislation that would muzzle dogs after instances of anti-social behavior, but they openly admit that microchipping “will not help to protect the public from dog attacks or tackle the wider problems of irresponsible ownership.”[1]
Common sense tells us that irresponsible owners or yobs who lack the ability to train stronger dogs are not all of a sudden going to gain the motivation or ability to train their dogs correctly just because they are microchipped. The presence of a chip cannot physically stop an attack or freak accident. Angela McGlynn the mother of John Paul Massey admitted during an interview with the BBC this morning that: “It wouldn’t have made a difference at all” if the dog who mauled her 4 year old son to death was microchipped.’






