A law requiring distributors to attach microchips to dogs and cats will come into force on the 1st of next month so that owners can quickly identify when a pet is abandoned or lost in a disaster.
Companies in Tokyo that operate pet shops are promoting the awareness of new laws to their owners.
With the enforcement of the new law, breeders such as breeders and pet shops will be able to attach microchips to dogs and cats for sale, as well as the names and genders, breeds and hair colors of dogs and cats. You are required to register your name in the national database.
Owners are also required to register their name, address, phone number, etc. within 30 days when purchasing a dog or cat.
Those who already own it, those who take it over, protection groups, etc. are obliged to make efforts to wear it.
The operating company of a pet shop in Koto-ku, Tokyo has been wearing microchips on all dogs and cats it handles for 15 years, and veterinarians were working at the company's facilities on the 27th.
According to veterinarians, the microchip is a cylindrical electronic device with a diameter of 2 mm and a length of about 1 cm, which is attached to the neck and shoulder blades of dogs and cats using a syringe.
Since the number of inquiries from pet owners is increasing, this company is promoting the awareness of the new law by explaining the mechanism of microchips to pet owners visiting pet shops.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, the number of dogs and cats taken over by local governments due to lost children or abandonment of breeding has risen to more than 85,000 in the first year of Reiwa, and it is an issue to deal with.
The person in charge of the pet shop management company said, "In the past, I used to attach a lost child tag with contact information to the collar, but it may come off, so I recommend a microchip that can be attached semi-permanently. I would like to explain to owners who have not yet worn their pets so that they can know the correct knowledge and make the best choice. "
"It's encouraging if it helps when you're gone"
A couple in their 40s in Chiba Prefecture who visited a pet shop said, "It also leads to a sense of security. I think there are various ways of thinking, but it is encouraging if it helps even a little as a way to find when pets are gone."
A man in his twenties in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo said, "I didn't know about the obligation at all. I think it would be nice if there wasn't much pain."
In addition, a high school student in Chiba Prefecture said, "I didn't know that it was mandatory. I often see the paper of lost pets, so I think it might be useful."