Scanning microchips prior to euthanasia

In 2020, Defra worked with the Tuk's Law campaign and the veterinary profession to provide more assurance that alternatives have been explored prior to the euthanasia of healthy dogs. In doing so, Defra was responding to the concerns expressed by Tuk's Law campaign, whilst acknowledging the veterinary profession's position that requests to euthanise healthy animals are rare in practice. In 2021, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) amended its Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons to address this issue. Under the revised Code, where the attending vet considers that there are no health or welfare reasons to justify euthanasia, they should scan the microchip and check the relevant compliant database. This allows the vet to consider whether anyone else has declared an interest in the dog, such as a rehoming centre, who might be willing to tak