According to a report, the installation of microchips in pets in Italy has increased significantly in recent years, and there are now 15,600,787 animals with these devices.

Rome.- The Registry of Companion Animals of the Ministry of Health noted that this figure is 1.5 million higher than the one registered in 2022, and shows an upward trend in the use of these devices, which is obligatory in the case of dogs, with 14,298,845 registered specimens. This figure contrasts with the expenses and number of ferrets currently registered, which total 1,299,321 and 2,621,000, respectively.

Massimo Comparotto, president of the International Organization for the Protection of Animals (OIPA), stated that the use of microchips makes it possible to return lost pets to families and to control dogs roaming the streets, which by law are also identified with microchips.

Currently, and given its obligatory nature, the installation of such devices in dogs, whether privately owned or stray, is advancing, while OIPA advocates extending their use to other species, in particular cats and ferrets, Comparotto pointed out. (PL)