Preseli Pembrokeshire Assembly Member, Paul Davies has expressed his concern at the latest news that the Welsh Government is set to miss its target for all dogs in Wales to be microchipped by March 2015. In a recent statement the Deputy Minister for Farming and Food has made it clear that "the previously stated date of 1 March 2015, by which all dogs in Wales should be microchipped, is unlikely to be achieved.

Mr Davies said, "I'm disappointed that the Welsh Government continues to be dragging its feet on this very important issue. There have been calls for some time to address this issue and it's frustrating to see that the Welsh Government has not taken this matter seriously."

He added, "Given the rural nature of Pembrokeshire, microchipping would undoubtedly be effective in finding lost pets and would also help promote responsible pet ownership. Locally, I have met with the Dogs Trust to hear first-hand just how significant micro-chipping can be and I very much support their work and believe that compulsory micro-chipping is a major step forward in dog welfare, not least for the part it will play in reducing the stray dog population in years to come."