Current status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 January 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be a minimum age for a person to be held responsible for ensuring that a dog is microchipped after April 2016.
The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 have been considered by both the Delegated and Law Reform Committee, on 15 December 2015, and the Rural Affairs, Climate Change Committee, on 20 January 2015. They will be considered by the Scottish Parliament in due course. There is no minimum age for a person to be held responsible for ensuring that a dog is microchipped specified in these regulations. However, the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, under which these Regulations are made, provides that where the keeper of an animal is less than 16 year old, the person caring for the keeper is also considered responsible for the animal in their care.