Government orders every dog to be microchipped in crackdown on danger dogs

Under the microchipping plan, dogs would carry around with them their name, breed, age and health record, along with their owner's address and phone number.

The details would then be stored on a national database that local councils could access. Dog wardens who found a dog that looked dangerous would know straight away if it was legal.

The chip, around the size of a rice granule and costing about £10, is implanted into the pet either behind the ears or between the shoulder blades, in a relatively painless procedure.

Any owner failing to act would be fined, or face the possibility of having their dog confiscated. If the owner's personal details change, the information on the database can be also be altered.

The 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act has also come under fire for covering only four types – pitbulls, the Japanese Tosa, the Dogo Argentino and the Fila Brasileiro – allowing owners to cross-breed different types, to get around the law.

There were previously calls for a tightening of the law after the death of Ellie Lawrenson, five, who was savaged by an illegal pit bull in St Helens.