The Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers' association on animal protection on Friday started discussions on revising the Animal Protection Law to make it mandatory for pet dogs and cats to have a microchip implant containing their owner's information.
The revision aims to help prevent pets that have been abandoned by their owners from being euthanized.
The association, chaired by LDP lawmaker Ichiro Kamoshita, is aiming to pass in the current Diet session a lawmaker-drafted bill to revise the law.
Pets can be identified via a cylindrical microchip that measures 1.6 millimeters to 2 millimeters in diameter and 8 millimeters to 12 millimeters in length. Veterinarians use injectors to implant them under animals' skin.
According to the Environment Ministry, currently only 13.3 percent of dog dealers and 33 percent of cat dealers implant microchips in the pets they sell.
Implanting the microchip costs several thousand yen, and many owners are reluctant to have a microchip implanted in their pets. Discussions at the association are expected to see twists and turns over how implant costs should be shared and the timing of the procedure, among other issues.
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