Everyone concerned about missing dogs might like to have a look at this?

[Fran Griffin]

http://vetsgetscanning.co.uk/

[KC and the boys]

Thaks Fran - have signed petition! Makes me mad to read all those stories. It's also frightening to hear how many dogs get stolen... Eeek!

[Fran Griffin]

Yes Mel it would be a great idea if everyone can ask their vets to come on board with this. For anyone on Facebook, please look up Willow Veterinary Centres who are extremely proactive in this campaign. You don't have to be a client of Willow to join their facebook.

[Finding_Beau]

I have spent almost 10 years writing to Members of Parliament, the AWL, the RSPCA, every council dog pound, every Veterinary Surgeons Board in every State of Australia, every single vet practice in Australia  .. the list goes on and on and on .. and the majority i.e. 90% did not care about stolen companion animals even though this is a major problem in every country in the world. To this day there is no requirement for any vet in Australia to scan a dog for a microchip even when they have been advised it is a Police matter and they have been given the Police Crime report number. State dog management legislation continues to be in contradiction with property and criminal legislation. I was advised by a journalist a couple of years ago that my English Setter, Beau would have received more media attention than any dog ever in Australia even though I knocked back a lot of media stories. I really wonder now if one person can make a difference but in saying this, I still believe each one of us should keep trying.

It is good to see that this has been recognised in the UK. I can never see this happening in Australia. 

[Sue Paterson]

Thank you Fran...I've signed the petition and will speak to our vet when I next visit.

[Fran Griffin]

Hi Mel, if you can spread this information on the facebook forums that will be great. I know Sandy Waterton is doing a lot at the moment too.   I wonder if it would be a good idea in Aus. to find some high profile dog loving celebrity to become involved to promote something similar? Even though Bruce Forsyth has put his name to this, I have been told it is his daughter who is the real force up behind it. I am sure a lot of vet practices will become involved, but likewise I am sure there will be those who wont give this a 2nd look.  It might be a good idea for people to leave those practices who refuse to participate?

[KC and the boys]

Have spread the word on Facebook.

[Fran Griffin]

Great everyone.  Let's make this happen and make it as difficult as we can for those who wish to steal dogs and then trade them on.

[Nardi Rowe]

Finding Beau I don't know what vets you have been to but all the vet surgeries I have had direct experience with (admittedly only 6) here in Sydney run the scanner over a dog that is brought in as lost if they do not have a collar with an ID name tag.  It is usually one of the vet nurses who do this while the person who has brought the dog in is still at the surgery.  If there is a microchip, they ring a central telephone number for the owners details and then contact them that there dog is there.  People finding the dog go off happy the dog will be collected from the vets by their owner.

[Fran Griffin]

It doesn't happen here in the UK.  Most vets don't scan.

My vets have just invested in a halo scanner.  There has also been a failure with some chips which people are unaware of. Everyone needs to check their dogs chips in case you have one of those which in the past year or so have failed. Our local vets are offering a free scanning service even for pets who are not their clients.  DaisyMae possibly has one of the failed chips, as she went to a different vet who is using that brand (I can't remember who that is unfortunately).  I am going to get her scanned next week by our current vets.

[Pat Aldridge]

Same here in NZ, Nardi!  All the vets will scan a "found" dog or cat with no problem.  It's been common in NZsince microchipping was brought in.