They are, of course, next to peanut butter and rock’n’roll, the greatest gift that god or Elvis has bestowed upon us.
And right now, those who love their dogs better make sure the little blighters are registered with an authorised database.
In effect from March 31st, 2016, new legislation requires all dogs, regardless of age or breed, to be micro-chipped and registered. Currently, there are four Authorised Databases – Animark, Fido, Irish Coursing Club and Irish Kennel Club.
To check if your dog is registered, you’ll need your microchip number, date of birth, etc – once you have those, you can find out if everything’s in order through the National Chipping Month form here.
From March 31st, you must have an official certificate to prove your dog is chipped. Certificates are issued by Authorised Databases. These prove ownership and must be completed to transfer ownership. It will also mean that buying or selling a dog will now involve both parties signing the certificate and giving it to the Database to ensure that owner details are up to date. Failure to do so is illegal and may result in a fine.