BOLTON councillors want all pet dogs in the town to have implanted identity microchips. Councillors said all dogs in Bolton should have the high-tech gadget inserted under the fur to keep tabs on the dog population. And the council wants to have the power to implant the devices in dogs found wandering the streets in a bid to control Bolton's burgeoning stray dog problem.

Bolton Council should then be able to charge the owners who lose the dog for the cost of the operation.

Councillors, who discussed the issue at a meeting of the environment and consumer sub-committee, also want dog licensing brought back. It was scrapped nationally 12 years ago.

They said a dog registration scheme would help control strays as well as clamp down on dog fouling and dangerous dogs. Any owner whose dog was not properly registered would be fined.

Under legislation already in force, all dogs are supposed to have a collar or tag to show who they belong to.

Currently so many strays are caught by the council, some cannot be rehomed and have to be put down.

Cllr John Walsh said: "As a dog owner, I understand the importance of tagging dogs and the chip identification method. I'm all in favour of extending that."

But Cllr John Hanscomb warned the red tape required by the council to keep tabs on dogs in the area would be bureaucratic and difficult to administer.

Cllr Joyce Kellett said registering dogs would give the council more power to deal with irresponsible owners who let their pets stray.

She said: "These dogs which keep constantly straying are a menace.

"It's not fair on the dogs and it's not fair on the local authority which is left to pick up the pieces."

The council's views will be sent to the pet advisory committee which is to prepare a Government report.

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