Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, has leant his support to two campaigns highlighting dog theft in the UK.
After being contacted by a constituent following recent spate of dog thefts in the area, Gavin has highlighted the two social media campaigns which seek to spread the news about dogs that have gone missing and encouraging residents to keep a look out for lost animals.
Gavin has also encouraged dog owners in South Staffordshire to get their dogs microchipped after it became compulsory in England from the beginning this month. Details of pets and their owners should be recorded on a microchip database so they can be re-united if a pet goes missing, and the new microchipping requirement ensures these details will be kept up to date. The database should be informed when a pet is lost or stolen: if a stolen pet is identified through scanning, it can advise the owner on what steps can be taken.
After learning more about the campaigns Gavin commented: “Our pets are part of our family and there is understandable distress when an animal is lost or stolen from a family home. It is certainly not acceptable that dogs are being stolen and I hope that with microchipping becoming compulsory this will deter people in the future.
“I am pleased to support the campaigns of One Big Bark and DogT.A.G. and I encourage the work that they do in our area, seeking help for those families who have had a dog stolen. In some cases, by the power of social media, dogs can be reunited with their families and I very much applaud their work.”