Topical question asked in the House of Commons, by Philip Hollobone (Conservative). It was answered on Thursday, 10 December 2009 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Topical Questions

Question: Every year Kettering borough council has to round up about 250 stray dogs from across the borough, most of which do not have collars or microchips. Given the Department's responsibilities for animal welfare, especially in the run-up to Christmas, what more can the Government do to promote responsible dog ownership?

Answer: We certainly agree with the hon. Gentleman that we should do everything that we can to achieve responsible dog ownership. I visited the Dogs Trust re-homing centre in Harefield to support its annual campaign, which raises awareness with the message that a dog is for life, not just for Christmas. There are dogs charities and dog organisations all over the UK trying to get the message home, and we want to do the same. Dog licensing did not work. Chipping is a more modern, technologically superior, less expensive and less bureaucratic system, and it may be something that we want to consider in future. Chipping is not under consideration at the moment, but one can never close the door entirely, particularly to improvements in the welfare of animals.

Secondary information