The British government has proposed requiring that all new dog owners fit their pets with microchips and making canine insurance compulsory.
Britain’s Home Secretary Alan Johnson says the rules are meant to target irresponsible owners who use dangerous animals as a weapon to intimidate others.
The proposal’s details are due to be outlined by Mr. Johnson in a speech later on Tuesday.
Many pets in the U.K. and elsewhere are already fitted with microchips. The devices allow Britons to more easily locate wayward pets or comply with the island nation’s strict quarantine laws. In a dog or a cat’s case the device is usually injected between the shoulder blades.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says about 70,000 animals were chipped in 2008.
