Pet Corner: Why microchipping your pet is so important

"The most obvious reason to microchip your pet is that it gives you the best chance of being reunited should your pet go missing or be stolen as your pet will be permanently identifiable."

A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is inserted painlessly under the skin.

Microchipping of dogs was made a legal requirement in March 2016 so if your pet is older than five you may wonder if you need to get a microchip and what the benefits of doing so are.

A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is inserted painlessly under the skin by a vet or suitably trained person like a veterinary nurse. It stores a unique number that can be read by an electronic scanner.