Dog owners across the UK are being urged to microchip their pets as new data shows thefts rose by 5% in 2025 to nearly 1,200 incidents, despite new legislation treating companion animals as more than property.
Under current rules, all dogs in the UK must be microchipped and registered by the time they are 8 weeks old, according to Gov.uk. Owners who fail to do so can be fined up to £500.
Microchipping and registration requirements
The microchip contains a number that appears whenever a dog or cat is scanned, meaning stolen or missing pets can be reunited with their owners if found. Owners must also ensure their pet is registered on an approved database, with a separate fine of up to £500 for failing to do so.
Approved databases include AnimalData, Animal Microchips, Animal Tracker, ChipHERO, Chipped Monkey, Chipworks, Crumb, DKCF, IDID, Fido, Greyhound Chip ID (racing greyhounds only), HomeAgain, Identi, Lost Paws, MicroChip Central, My Animal Trace, MyPet, National Veterinary Data Service, Pet Database, Pet Identity UK, Petlog, PetScanner, ProtectedPet, SmartTrace, UK PETtrac Microchip Database and We Trace Pets.
Gov.uk notes that Track Your Paws does not meet government standards and has been removed from the list. Owners whose pets are registered with Track Your Paws should register with another database.
Five breeds most commonly stolen
Freedom of Information data gathered from police forces across the country identified the five breeds most commonly stolen, according to The Pet Database Pet Theft and Abduction Report 2026, compiled by Dr Daniel Allen of Keele University. The breeds are Staffordshire Bull Terrier, French Bulldog, Dachshund, German Shepherd and Cocker Spaniel.
Indy Sangha, CEO of Pet Database, said: "Owners are doing everything they can to protect their pets on walks, while the data shows thieves are coming to the front door."
"When a pet is taken, the microchip is often the clearest proof of who it belongs to, yet a fifth of owners don't know it's their job to keep those details up to date. We back Dr Allen's call for police to record microchip status in every pet theft case, so we can finally see how many stolen and abducted pets could have come home."
