http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/21352258All dogs in England will have to be microchipped from April 2016.
The government says it will help tackle strays and make it easier to prosecute owners of violent dogs.
Owners who do not get their pet microchipped could face fines of up to £500.
The procedure costs about £20-£30 at a vets and involves inserting a sterile chip the size of a grain of rice between a dog's shoulder blades.
Similar rules are already in place in Northern Ireland and they are being considered in Wales.
The Government's also closing a legal loophole by extending legal protection for people, like postal staff, who are attacked on private property.
HMM- Any one spot a parallel with vehicle registration & automated fines ?