Strict law can see dog owners hit with a £500 fine when moving house

A STRICT law could see dog owners slapped with a £500 fine when moving house, an expert has warned. Packing up and moving house is never easy with many finding the process very stressful. Packing up and moving house is never easy with many finding the process very stressful. Credit: Getty Images But dog owners should be aware of an important rule to avoid being slapped with a fine when they move home. It is a legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped by the time they are eight weeks old. Failure to comply with these rules could see you slapped with a fine of up to £500. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! This law makes it easier for lost dogs to be returned to their owners more quickly and makes it easier to track down the owners of dogs that carry out attacks on people. But pet owners should be aware that even once your dog is chipped, there are still rules you must follow. This includes updating your dog’s microchip details if you move house or your contact details change. You’ll need to contact the database company your dog or cat is registered with to update any of your details. This is worth bearing in mind as failure to comply could see you fined £500. Guidance from the RSPCA states: “If your dog isn’t microchipped and registered on an approved database, you could be served with a notice ordering you to microchip your dog. Most read in The Sun “You’ll have 21 days to do so or you may be liable to pay a £500 fine and could face criminal prosecution. “If your contact details change and you don’t update them on the database, then you could also receive a notice and may be liable to pay a fine of £500.” You might be charged a fee for updating your pet’s microchip information. Comment now