The 500th dog has been microchipped for free in Gravesend.

Eleven-week-old beagle puppy Daisy was chipped at The Meadow Rooms in The Street as part of Gravesham Council’s scheme with the Dog’s Trust charity.

Microchipping is recommended so lost pets can be quickly reunited with their owners and the council is paving the way for best pooch practice.

Gravesham’s Stray Dog Service has recently been awarded the RSPCA’s Community Animal Welfare Footprint Gold Award for its work with stray dogs and animal welfare. 

The awards are given to celebrate, reward and promote good practice by local authorities including the care of stray dogs, microchipping and the operation of a 24-hour service. 

The council’s senior environmental health officer Debbie Wilders said: "In 2016 it is going to become a legal requirement that all dog owners have their pets microchipped, hopefully by then almost all of the dog owners in Gravesham will already have had theirs done."

Daisy’s owners took her for the free service last Wednesday (September 17).

Stray dogs found in Gravesham can be collected by the council’s stray dog service 24 hours a day. 
Call 01474 56 44 22 or visit gravesham.gov.uk for microchipping events.