Petition · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Introduce a dog traceability system to run alongside Livestock Services
Open for signatures
107 signatures
What the petition asks
We call on the UK Government to introduce a mandatory DEFRA-run National Dog Register, alongside the Livestock Information Service; to record every dog from birth & track all changes of owner, sale, rehoming, import, export & death, replacing the current fragmented microchip system.
Microchips do not prove ownership, which we think makes theft & abuse easy. An estimated 36,965 dogs were handled as strays in 2023-24.
A DEFRA register would create birth-to-death records to:
Help police & wardens trace a dog’s life quicker and more easily.
Reduce £25m/year in police kennel costs (2024/25 estimate).
Establish legal ownership, reduce abuse and abandonment.
Close loopholes for illegal breeding and exports.
A DEFRA register would create birth-to-death records to:
Help police & wardens trace a dog’s life quicker and more easily.
Reduce £25m/year in police kennel costs (2024/25 estimate).
Establish legal ownership, reduce abuse and abandonment.
Close loopholes for illegal breeding and exports.
Timeline
| 27 Mar 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
107
Status
Open for signatures
Department
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened
27 Mar 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.