VETS are using National Microchip Month to advise owners of almost two million dogs that they have less than 12 months to microchip their pets.

From April 6, 2016 it will be compulsory for all dogs aged eight weeks and over in England and Scotland to be microchipped.

It is already law in Northern Ireland, and Wales is due to introduce the legislation in the near future.

Current figures suggest 80 per cent of dogs are currently microchipped, but it still leaves approximately 1.8 million pet dogs needing to be microchipped in the next ten months.

The microchip, which is the size of a grain of rice, will need to be officially registered with an approved microchip database, which will hold it along with up-to-date information about the dog and its owner’s contact details.