microchipping horses in U.K.
From October 2020 it will be mandatory for all owners to microchip their horses, ponies, and donkeys. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse

A new law requiring horse owners in the United Kingdom to microchip their animals was introduced June 25 with the goal of preventing abuse and improving welfare.

Earlier this year the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSCPA) released figures that showed that they rescued around 1,000 horses in 2017, to highlight the issue of horses being fly-tipped or dumped.

From October 2020 it will be mandatory for all owners to microchip their horses, ponies, and donkeys. The U.K.’s new Central Equine Database will then allow local authorities and police to track down the owners of dumped horses and make sure they are punished and the animals are given the care they deserve. It will also mean lost or stolen horses will be reunited with their owners more easily

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