From the 1st, the seller is obliged to wear a microchip so that the owner can be identified when a dog or cat gets lost, and the owner who purchases a new one is also required to register the name and address.
72,000 pet dogs and cats are taken over by the local government every year due to lost children and abandonment, and the revised Animal Welfare and Management Law was enforced on the 1st to facilitate the identification of owners.
For breeders and pet shops that breed under the law, dogs and cats for sale may be equipped with a microchip that is 2 mm in diameter and 1 cm in length and has a 15-digit identification number recorded on it. Mandatory.
Then, it is necessary to register the trader name, dog or cat name and gender, breed, and hair color together with the identification number in the national database.
Owners who purchase dogs and cats must also register their name, address, phone number, etc. within 30 days.
This will allow you to identify the owner by matching the microchip's identification number with the information in the database when the dog or cat is protected.
Those who already own it, those who take it over, protection groups, etc. are obliged to make efforts to wear it.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, even if a child gets lost or is separated due to a disaster, it will be returned to the owner, and it can be expected to be effective in preventing irresponsible abandonment of breeding.
What is a microchip?
According to the Ministry of the Environment, the microchip is a cylindrical electronic device with a diameter of 2 mm and a length of about 1 cm, which is worn by veterinarians from the neck to the shoulder blades of dogs and cats using a syringe.
A unique 15-digit identification number is assigned to the microchip, and the identification number is displayed when a dedicated reader is held over the body of a dog or cat.
The identification number is registered in the national database together with information such as the owner's name and address, and the owner can be traced from the number.
Since it does not have a GPS function, it is not possible to know where you are.
In Japan, after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, many dogs and cats got lost, and discussions about the introduction began. Three years ago, a law to partially revise the Animal Welfare and Management Law. Was established.
The government says that by installing a microchip, it will be easier to find the owner if you get lost or if you are separated due to a disaster, and you can expect to prevent easy abandonment.
What happens when the law is enforced?
[For breeders and distributors]
Distributors such as dog and cat breeders and pet stores are obliged to wear a microchip.
It is installed by a veterinarian, and along with the microchip identification number, the trader name, location, contact information, dog / cat name, breed, hair color, date of birth, gender, characteristics, etc. are also registered in the database. Is obligatory.
[For those who purchase and keep new dogs and cats]
People who purchase new dogs and cats from pet stores and keep them are obliged to register in the national database because they already have microchips.
Registration is required for your name, address, phone number, email address, as well as information such as dog / cat name, breed, hair color, date of birth, gender, and characteristics.
If the information changes, you will need to update your registration.
For example, if you name a cat you bought at a pet store "tama", you must take steps to change the temporary name registered by the vendor.
The procedure is also required if you move or change your email address.
Also, if the registered dog or cat dies, you must report it.
[For those who already have dogs and cats]
For those who already have dogs and cats, wearing a microchip is a mandatory effort.
However, if your dog or cat does not have a microchip and you newly install it at a veterinary hospital, you will need to register it in the national database as well.
[People who have inherited dogs and cats from conservation groups and acquaintances]
Even those who have inherited dogs and cats without microchips from conservation groups and acquaintances are obliged to wear them.
[If it is already attached to your dog or cat]
Prior to this mandatory requirement, some companies have installed microchips, and private databases are also in operation.
The Ministry of the Environment is calling on people who already have dogs and cats equipped with microchips to re-register them in the national database in order to promote unified operation.