When preparing your dog / puppy for sale there are two important steps around microchips that need to be done prior to selling them:
- Microchipping your dog. This is generally done around 6 weeks and can be done at the same time as a worm treatment by your vet. It’s painless for a dog.
- Registering the microchip. As important as the chip itself, your dog needs to be registered in your name before you sell it. This is a legal requirement, set out in Section 4(c), of the Microchipping of Dogs regulations 2015 , S.I. No. 63 of 2015. Registration has to be with one of the 4 Irish microchip databases.
A person Shall not – sell or supply a dog or cause or permit another person to sell or supply a dog unless the dog is microchipped and registered in accordance with Regulation 3 before such sale or supply, or
S.I. No. 63 of 2015
Note: this law came into effect on March 31st 2016.
Notes about selling dogs online
- You cannot sell a dog before the microchip is registered in your name.
- You cannot, even if your vet tells you, have a dog microchipped and have the new owner fill out the forms.
- The first owner registered for a dog is the person who is selling the dog.
- All dogs over 12 weeks need to have a microchip and the microchip needs to be registered in your name.
- All dogs being sold (online or offline) need to have a microchip number listed in the ad and the microchip needs to be registered.
- If your microchipped, but unregistered, dog got out, there wouldn’t be an easy way to link the puppy back to you.
There are no exception cases where a dog can be sold without it being microchipped and registered. You can read more about the steps in the microchipping process here.
