Dog owners are being given the opportunity to have their pets microchipped for free.

Councillors in Wavertree have teamed up with the Dogs Trust to stage the event at Harthill Youth Centre in Wellington Road on Wednesday 5 October (11am to 3pm) where an on the spot microchipping service  will be provided.

In addition all owners will receive the Dogs Trust RDO (Responsible Dog Ownership) six pack which includes information leaflets on the following aspects of dog ownership:

• Being safe around dogs
• Being a good dog owner
• Guide to good dog behaviour
• Bag it and Bin It – Clean up after your dog
• Benefits of neutering
• Understanding microchipping

Wavertree Councillor Helen Casstles said:

“The law changed in April and dog owners can be fined £500 if their dog is not microchipped. It is also an offence not to keep microchip details up to date.

“So, we are staging this event with the Dogs Trust to make it easier for owners to comply with the law.”

Michelle Moat, campaigns officer for the Dogs Trust, said:

“Losing a dog is an extremely upsetting time for both dog and owner so events like these are really vital in helping to spread the message about the importance of microchipping.

“Microchipping is the most effective permanent way to assist in a lost dog being returned to their owner which in turn reduces the number of healthy dogs unnecessarily put to sleep. To ensure lost dogs have the best possible chance of being swiftly reunited with their owner, it is hugely important that owners ensure their dog always wears a collar and a tag displaying their contact details, and that they keep their microchip database details up to date.”

Dog owners attending this event should be aged 18 or over. All puppies should be fully vaccinated before they can be microchipped.