Dog owners can take their four-legged friends along to a free microchipping event in Tonbridge this month.

It will take place at Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground on Wednesday, March 30 between 12pm and 2pm.

It is the last in a series of sessions organised by Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council in partnership with the Dogs Trust and Ward Security.

The events are being held in advance of a change in law which means from April 6 all dogs in England must be microchipped and registered to an approved database by the time they are eight weeks old.

The Dogs Trust has provided the microchipping equipment and the council’s dog warden will be registering any dogs microchipped at the event.

They will also be giving advice on a range of topics from dog care and grooming to training and security.

“Stolen, lost and stray dogs are all too common" - Cllr Jill Anderson

Dog owners can bring their pets along to the free microchipping event, which will be situated near the public toilets next to Tonbridge Swimming Pool.

Tonbridge and Malling’s Dog Warden has already microchipped 173 dogs at six similar events held across the borough throughout February and March.

Unlike dog tags and collars, which can fall off or be removed, microchipping is a more permanent form of identifying a dog.

Cllr Jill Anderson, cabinet member for housing and environment services, said: “Stolen, lostand stray dogs are all too common and the task of reuniting dogs with their correct owners is so much easier if the dog is microchipped.

"Most people consider their dogs to be ‘one of the family’ and by working with the Dogs Trust to offer free microchipping I hope we will be helping more dogs and their owners to stay together.”

For more information e-mail dog.warden@tmbc.gov.uk call 01732 876147 or visit www.tmbc.gov.uk/dogs