A Wiltshire woman has been convicted of failing to comply with a notice requiring her dog to be microchipped.
Violet Cooper, 38, of Dilton Marsh, Westbury, was found guilty in absence of an offence under regulation 14(2)(e) of The Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023.
The maximum sentence on summary conviction is a fine at level 2 (£500).
Cooper was convicted at Salisbury Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 22nd May 2025.
Magistrates heard that Cooper's Chow Chow-type dog, named Juliet, was found wandering the streets of Penleigh, Westbury, wearing a pink collar without any identification.
The dog was taken to a local veterinary practice, where it was scanned for a microchip. A microchip was found, but its details were not registered on any of the approved databases. The vets contacted the local authority dog warden, who attended the surgery at the same time as Cooper came looking for the missing dog.
The dog warden issued Cooper with a notice under regulation 13(2), which required her to update Juliet's microchip details within 21 days. The 38-year-old failed to comply with the notice.
Cooper was fined £220 and ordered to pay £539.59 towards prosecution costs and £88 surcharge.
Councillor Paul Sample of Wiltshire Council said: "Microchipping a cat or dog is a permanent way of identifying your pet if they get lost or stolen.
"If your pet goes missing, our officers can scan the microchip and get them home safely.
"It became compulsory by law for all dogs to be microchipped in April 2016, and for cats in 2023.
"Ms Cooper has been given lots of opportunities to update the information on her dog's microchip and comply with the law but chose to ignore the issue.
"Hopefully, this outcome will act as a costly reminder to all dog or cat owners to ensure that their pet is microchipped and that details on the chip are up to date.
"We will not hesitate to prosecute those who fail to comply."
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