Animal rescue charity microchipping cats for free in East Sussex ahead of law change

New legislation – which comes into place on Monday, June 10 – means all cats must be microchipped.

Failure to comply by the deadline could land cat owners with a £500 fine.

Ahead of the law change, People’s Animal Welfare Society (PAW Society) is offering free microchipping sessions to owners who may struggle to afford the cost.

PAW Society trustee Hannah Carter said: “Microchipping is the most effective way of ensuring your pet returns home safely if they ever go missing or are stolen.

"They only take a few seconds to implant and your cat will experience minimal discomfort - no more than when receiving their yearly vaccinations.

“Most vets charge between £10 and £20 for microchips which some households won’t have to spare. Failure to microchip your cat could see owners fined up to £500, which is even less affordable.

"We felt it was important to offer this service for free and without restrictions on income or cats’ neuter status like some other local schemes.”

PAW Society – which was established in Sussex in 2021 and has since expanded across the country – relies entirely on donations. Due to this, the charity hopes to fundraise to cover the cost of as many microchips as possible.

Hannah added: “Our aim is to help as many cats as we can, not to make profits.

“That being said, we aim to microchip over 200 cats, costing around £700.00. This is a huge sum for our small charity and means that we’ll struggle to take in animals who need us until we can recoup those costs.

"Donations to help another pet owner in need will be hugely appreciated and means we can improve the welfare of all cats in the local area.”

The next sessions are set to take place on Saturday, June 8 at GoPet Services Vets in Bexhill.

If you would like to book an appointment, visit: www.cognitoforms.com/PAWSociety1/CatMicrochipRegistration or call PAW Society on 0333 090 3995.

PAW Society has partnered with microchip database company MyPet who have provided the chips for the event.

For more information about the charity, visit: www.pawsocietyuk.org.