Dog owners face £500 fine for failing to microchip pets If the owner has not complied, they will be told to have the animal chipped "urgently," the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said. Anyone who does not then get their dog fitted with a chip will be fined up to £500. Government sources insisted the measures will be "proportionate" and are not designed to be "punish" dog owners. Paul Green, from SAGA, warned that pensioners could end up "suffering" because of the new regulations. "The idea that a grandmother's Yorkshire Terrier is going to savage someone in a public park is ridiculous," Mr Green said. The issue of dangerous dogs is much more about dangerous owners. Chipping dogs is quite popular amongst pensioners as it can help if their dog gets lost. But it is important that these measures are proportionate. It should not be law-abiding dog owners who end up suffering and being fined because of these laws. A Defra spokesperson said: "Clearly the police and local authorities will not be seeking out law-abiding responsible owners to check their dogs are microchipped. If the authorities come across a dog after 2016 that does not have a microchip the owner will be required to have it chipped urgently. Those who refuse to microchip their dog could face a fine of up to £500. Mr Paterson said that the microchipping will be free for all dog owners because it is being subsidised by the Dogs Trust charity. He said that 110,000 dogs were lost a year and microchipping will speed up the tracing of their owners. Around 6,000 dogs are put down each year, while strays cost the taxpayer and welfare charities £57 million a year. "It's ludicrous that in a nation of dog lovers, thousands of dogs are roaming the streets or stuck in kennels because the owner cannot be tracked down," Mr Paterson said. I am determined to put an end to this and ease the pressure on charities and councils to find new homes for these dogs. Microchipping is a simple solution that gives peace of mind to owners. It makes it easier to get their pet back if it strays and easier to trace if it's stolen.