Dogs going high-tech

Dogs going high-tech

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): A dog with a chip on its shoulder will no longer be an object of fear in Malaysia, simply the latest example of technology taking over from tradition.

Old-fashioned dog tags will be replaced by microchips implanted in all canine pets by next year, newspapers reported last week.

The grain-sized chips will help trace errant dogs and their owners, said veterinary department chief Mohamad Nordin Mohd.

"With the centralized database and information on dog owners, microchip implants will allow owners who carelessly allow dogs to roam to be traced," he was quoted as saying by The Sun.

"It is not an option for dog owners. Dogs will be taken away if owners fail to comply with the law and (they) will be fined."