Witney News - FREE microchipping

FREE microchipping

West Oxfordshire residents are being encouraged to make it their New Year’s Resolution to get their dog microchipped for FREE.

Appointments will be on selected dates during January and February at:

WFS Country Shop, Burford Road, Witney
Countrywide, Banbury Road, Chipping Norton

Advance booking is essential and can be made at www.westoxon.gov.uk/dogs or by calling 01993 861020.

Cllr David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Microchipping is a simple procedure that can save a lot of heartache and reduce expensive kennelling fees as stray dogs can be quickly identified and returned to their owners. It is also easier to trace stolen dogs.”

Each year in the UK more than 100,000 stray dogs are abandoned or lost at a cost of £57million to the taxpayer and animal welfare charities. Over half cannot be reunited with their owner because they cannot be identified and of these 6,000 dogs are put down because they cannot be rehomed.

In West Oxfordshire, the Council picks up hundreds of stray dogs every year, some of which are never reunited with their owners and have to be rehomed.

The Government is bringing in compulsory microchipping for all dogs from 6 April 2016.

Dogs Trust is supplying the microchips to West Oxfordshire District Council as part of their Dogs in the Community project. This free offer is for West Oxfordshire residents’ dogs only.

The Council’s microchipping service, offered year round, normally costs £16.98