A DOG chipping campaign is proving a success following the introduction of new legislation in April.

Durham County Council, working with the Dogs Trust and Stray Aid charities, launched #BeLikeChip in March to raise awareness of a law requiring all dogs, eight weeks old and over, to be microchipped and offer pet owners the chance to get their dogs chipped for free.

So far 1,162 dogs have been microchipped and 109 microchips have been scanned to check the chip details were up to date as part of the campaign.

Ian Hoult, Durham County Council’s neighbourhood protection manager said: “The statistics shows how successful this campaign is and how it has helped dog owners not fall foul of the new legislation.

“People should take advantage of the free micro-chipping events as the microchip holds vital information if their dog was lost or stolen. It also helps us tackle illegal dog breeders and bring justice to their victims.”

Visit durham.gov.uk/microchipping for more information and details of free microchipping events.