Dover woman faces £890 bill for failing to get her Akita dog microchipped

A dog owner has picked up a total bill of more than £890 after failing to get her pet microchipped.

The prosecution was brought by Dover District Council (DDC) and heard at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Richelle Down, 29, of Malmains Road, Dover, was found guilty in her absence of an offence of failure to comply with a notice to microchip a dog.

She was fined £220, and ordered to pay costs of £582.50, with a victim surcharge of £88.

On June 24 last year, an Akita dog was seized by a DDC officer after it was found straying in the area of Folkestone Road, Dover.

The officer scanned the dog for a microchip, and as no microchip was found, the dog was transferred to kennels.

A member of the public contacted DDC to claim ownership of the Akita and provided details to verify this, and the dog was returned.

The council served a notice requiring the dog to be microchipped, and when this was not complied with, DDC took the matter to court.

Cllr Jamie Pout, DDC cabinet member for environmental services said: “Having your dog microchipped significantly increases your chance of having your dog returned to you promptly in the event of it straying or getting lost.

“DDC continues to remind people of the importance of microchipping, and that dog owners are required by law to microchip their pets.
This included a popular campaign last year, with a series of ‘check a chip’ events across the district.”

KentOnline revealed last year that just four dog owners in Kent had been punished by local councils in since 2016 for not having their pet microchipped.

In a bid to return missing animals home more quickly - and to track down those responsible for dogs which attack people - new rules were introduced nine years ago making it a legal requirement for owners to have their dogs chipped and to ensure contact details on databases remain up to date.