Should Microchipping become a legal requirement?

At the moment it is a legal requirement for your dog to have some sort of identification on. Tags on the dogs collar is the most popular way of doing this, it is ideal for if someone finds your pet and can get your details off the tag. But what happens if your dog slips their collar or if their collar breaks?

If a dog is found stray and there is no ID on them rescue centres/kennels have to wait 7 days for someone to come forward to claim them. If you manage to track your dog down you usually have to pay the dog warden, in some places it can be about £90...or most kennel managers charge full boarding expenses. If you don't manage to track your dog down in those important 7 days the rescue centre is then legally allowed to re-home or put down your dog, your loving pet!

A microchip is a small device about the size of a grain of sand, it is injected under the dogs skin and the data is picked up by hand help scanners. Vets, dog wardens and rescue centre have these hand held scanners so if your dog is picked up some where they can quickly be returned back to you.

Most microchipping companies also sell tags with their logo on it, this deters people from stealing your pooch as most people who steal dogs understand that a microchipped pet would be very difficult to re-home as vets always scan new patients.

I personally feel really strongly about pets being microchipped. Most vets do it for about £15, but think about all the heartache it would save you if your dog gets lost, not to mention the dog warden or kennel charges!

The last thought I would like to leave you with....Think about all the neglected and abused animals that are abandoned in this country. At the moment there is no way of tracing the owner, so there are very few prosecutions. But what about if they were microchipped? This would hopefully reduce the numbers of animals being abandoned and for those un-lucky pets that are still mistreated at least there will be justice.

If microchipping were to become a legal requirement then vet practices will have more custom. Maybe they could come to some sort of arrangement by linking with an animal charity and donating a percentage to charities such as the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, PDSA or the countless rescue centres across the nation.

So for the cost of a takeaway you could give your dog some ID that will last them a lifetime!!!

I will start at the start...

But which start do you want?

My start to life? Well, I was born in Leeds and my childhood was split between Yorkshire and Kent. I now live in Barnsley with my partner and children.

What about when I started working with animals? I have worked in a few different places including a Wildlife Rescue Centre, kennels and catteries all from the age of 16. Not to mention that I have always had dogs or cats all my life.

Or...When I started my own business? The exact answer is March 1st 2010, that is the date I took the plunge and registered online as self employed. The last kennel I worked in was terrible, the animals were mis-treated and the manager was clueless; so I decided to do it the right way, my way!

The first few weeks were a little terrifying as I spent a lot of money setting the business up but didn't get anything in return. I decided that everything had to be done right, by the book, above board, legit...etc Also I wanted to come across as a professional so spent money on getting uniforms embroided with my logo, getting business cards printed, buying in good quality equipment and getting a website made ( http://www.moreforpaws.co.uk/ ). I have also spent many hours in seminars, lectures and meetings to learn about running my own business.

I was so relieved when my first customer rang me, I converted the query into a contract and got doing what I enjoy the most...walking dogs! Within a few weeks the second phone call came and now I am getting calls most days.

June is my fourth month trading as a business and it has changed so much already, well it has been more of a progression than a complete change. To start with I decided only to cover Barnlsey, but as the majority of my clients live out towards Rotherham I thought I would dip my toe in their water too. When I have secured Rotherham the next step will be to tackle Sheffield.

Not only has the business expanded in coverage it has also expanded with the services we offer. Originally the idea was to just offer dog walking, but as we get closer to the summer we have had lots of people asking about pet sitting and home boarding. My thoughts were that I love caring for pets so much, any extra time with them would be great. As my diary fills up though I have had to start thinking about staff, in fact I am just about to go interview some one to be a home boarder over summer and then look to take her on as a dog walker afterwards.

Eventually I would like to become the most established, reputable and busiest dog walking and pet sitting business covering Yorkshire....you will have to watch this space :)