The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) supports the permanent identification and registration of all dogs and cats, and other companion animals as appropriate. Microchipping is in general a safe, effective, and permanent way to identify individual animals.
You can read our full scientific position statement (SPS) (from February 2024) here: https://bsava.com/position-statement/pet-identification/
You can also read our joint BVA, BSAVA, SPVS Policy Position (PP) on Microchipping and Scanning (dogs and cats) and Microchip Databases (from July 2024) here and our joint BVA, BVNA, BSAVA and SPVS PP on the microchipping of cats (from September 2020) here. Please note, since this Policy Position was created some content has been superseded by subsequent legislation.
Our microchipping advice has been divided into sections, however you can download it all to read in one place here.
Our BSAVA Microchipping Advice aligns with BSAVA Scientific Position Statements and Policy Positions on microchipping.
NOTE:Â Information is correct at the time of release (June 2025). Individuals using this information should ensure they check Government websites for updates as BSAVA cannot accept responsibility for external updates.
