A law in England is now requiring all dogs to be microchipped by April of 2016. The chip is for identification purposes, and would allow lost pets to be reunited with their owners. It will use RFID technology, and contain a 15 digit code — 3 digits serve as a country identifier, along with a 12-digit  unique serial number.

A database which will store all the information will also allow pet owners to have their address and contact information tied to their pets. Lost animals would then only needed to be scanned, and from there their owners would just need to be found or contacted. Interestingly, the law does not include cats, with the reasoning being that they’re more territorial in nature. Meaning, your cats would be less likely to leave the home and not return.

The Verge mentions that having chips inserted into your pets, which are around the size of a grain of rice, is already pretty common in the UK and is actually recommended by veterinarians. Hopefully this practice, along with this new law, will greatly reduce the number of missing pets each year.

[via The Guardian, The Verge, image via skycaptaintwo]