Pet owners fined for failing to microchip animals in time

ISTANBUL

Pet owners who failed to register their animals on the PETVET application and get them microchipped have received a fine of 3,642 Turkish Liras ($194) as they crossed the expiration period, in a first such move in the country.

Based on animal protection legislation that came into force in late 2018, the ministry started the PETVET project to determine the exact number of dogs, cats and weasels looked after by their owners.

According to the regulation, all cats, dogs and weasels over six months old and owned are required to have a microchip number.

Pets without chips are not able to receive veterinary services, while their owners are fined.

Accordingly, with the expiry of the chip application period, people who could not present their animals’ chip numbers or documents were fined.

“As it is obligatory to submit documents of pets for going abroad or intercity travel, pet owners voluntarily applied to the authorities to obtain chip number, and they have to pay the fine,” said İsa Yıldırım, an official from the Ankara Chamber of Veterinarians.

“Apart from that, it is quite difficult to detect such animals. The issue does not end with the animal getting chipped alone, as it is also necessary to register it in the system and get the animal’s passport,” Yıldırım said, giving a reference of a pet owner who could not present his pet’s passport while traveling abroad as he did not register his pet in the system and had to pay a fine despite getting his pet microchipped.

As of Dec. 31, 2022, more than 1.4 million animals have been identified and registered.

A total of 552,127 declarations were given to owners of animals that did not have a chip despite applying due to density and chip and passport shortages.

The animals of those who have been given declarations continue to be chipped.

With the declaration application, the number of animals registered has approached 1.6 million.