462 dogs chipped

HUNDREDS of Larne dog-owners turned out to get their pets micro-chipped for free at special Dogs’ Trust sessions in the borough last week.

By The Newsroom

Published 19th Dec 2011, 23:01 BST

Larne Borough Council teamed up with the charity to help prepare owners for a change in the law next April, which means councils will be unable to issue dog licences for animals which are not electronically tagged.

A total of 462 dogs was micro-chipped during the road show, which visited Larne, Islandmagee and Carnlough between Monday, December 5 and Thursday, December 8. This figure represents one-sixth of the borough’s dog population, making Larne the third-highest area in the Province to take advantage of the scheme.

Director of Environmental Services Philip Thompson said the council was delighted with the uptake and added that the Dogs’ Trust would be re-visiting the borough in the New Year for another round of free micro-chipping before the new law comes into effect.