By law, your dog must have a microchip with up-to-date information. If your dog is found in public without an owner, it is considered a stray. Councils do issue fines for stray dogs, even if they have a microchip with accurate details.

Dogs without a microchip, collar, or identity tag, or with incorrect chip information, may be fined up to £500 for each offense. Councils have the authority to visit homes and take unchipped dogs to a vet, with owners responsible for covering all costs.

The most reliable method to locate your lost dog is to have them microchipped with current chip details. You must update the microchip information if you move or change your phone number.

It is essential to note that a microchip does not substitute for a collar and tag, which is also mandatory by law.

In England, cats must be microchipped by the time they are 20 weeks old, with the exception of feral and community cats. The law came into effect on June 10, 2024. Owners who don’t microchip their cat within 21 days of the deadline may face a fine of up to £500.

While microchipping is not currently required for cats in Wales, the Welsh government is considering making it compulsory. It’s still a very good idea in case your cat ever goes missing.

HOW TO UPDATE YOUR microchip DETAILS

Updating your dog’s microchip information is a simple process. You can do it online, by phone, or by post, depending on the database your chip is registered to. The charges for updating the chip details may vary across the databases.

If you are unsure which database your dog’s chip is registered to, you can visit www.chipmydog.org.uk and click on the “update your dog’s details” tab. It will assist you in locating the database linked to your dog’s chip and provide you with instructions on how to contact them to ensure your information is current.

If you don’t know your chip number, it should be included on your dog’s vaccination card, if not, ask your vet to scan your dog’s microchip!

ALL fines issued are done by the Council, NOT the Holding Kennels.

If you don’t collect your dog within seven days of the notice being served, legal ownership of the dog transfers to the holding kennels. The dog will then be made available for re-homing.
By law, all dogs must wear a collar with an identity disc attached displaying the address of the owner (it is recommended to also include your telephone number). As collars are sometimes lost, it is a legal requirement that dogs are microchipped which provides a permanent means of identification on a database.
Charges vary in different council boroughs, Flintshire have a standard charge of £35 and £8 a night kennelling charge. Denbighshire charge differently, they charge £40 during the day time (£50 if the dog is NOT microchipped/details incorrect) and their Out Of Hours (OOH) charge is £70 (£80 if the dog is NOT microchipped/details incorrect,) as well as a £8 a night kennelling charge
Dogs will not be released until the charges are paid in full. Please contact the council if you have any financial difficulties.