A BRADFORD woman has been ordered to pay over £1,000 for failing to get her dog microchipped.

A court case yesterday heard that Sarah Mairs, 28, of Camberley Mount had not responded to calls for her to microchip a dog that she claimed after it had been taken in by the Council.

Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court heard that on October 25 a warden spotted a group of youths dragging a dead fox down a street.

When he confronted them they fled, leaving behind a dog – a female blue lurcher, which was then taken to an office where staff hoped to trace its owner. However they found it had not been microchipped, and the dog was taken to a kennel. Mairs later came to claim the dog, and gave the kennels her contact details.

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The Council wrote to her to informer her of the legal requirement for all dogs to be microchipped. She failed to reply. A second notification was sent in November, and the Council has since received no notification from Mairs.

Mairs failed to appear at Friday’s court case, which was brought by Bradford Council, and magistrates heard the case in her absence.

After finding in favour of the Council they decided to issue a £220 fine and award costs amounting to £870.

In April 2016 it was made law that all dogs over the age of eight weeks old have to be micro-chipped, with failure to comply carrying the risk of a £500 fine.

When the law came into being a Telegraph & Argus reader survey found that 94 per cent of readers were in favour of it.

After Friday's case Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Healthy Places, said: “Dog owners need to be clear on the steps they need to take to act responsibly in keeping their pets safe.

“Microchipping makes it easier and quicker to return dogs back to their owners should they be lost or stolen and helps to keep dogs safe and also the wider public.”