Cambridgeshire is in the top five places in the country for missing dogs with nearly a third of owners saying they could not be bothered to get them microchipped.

The news comes as Cambridgeshire Police this week enlisted the help of force dog Oz to send out a reminder about the new law which means dogs over the age of eight weeks old must be chipped.

A police spokesman said: “Police dog Oz has a message for all dog owners today. It is now the law that all dogs aged eight weeks and over must be fitted with a microchip.

“If your dog is caught without a microchip you will have 21 days to get it chipped. If you don’t comply then you could face a fine of up to £500 or a conviction.

“Your dog should still wear a collar and tag that states the name and address of the owner when in a public place.”

A survey has shown that Cambridgeshire is home to seven per cent of missing dogs compared to the worst offending county Cheshire at 15 per cent.

The findings also revealed a widespread ignorance of the new micro chipping laws with 28 per cent oblivious to the new changes.

George Lewis, head of pet insurance group More Than, said: “Dog owners spend around £10,000 on their dogs during the pets’ lifetimes, however many of these people will put off getting their dogs micro chipped, despite it being an inexpensive and incredibly quick and simple procedure, not to mention an effective way of helping police, vets and animal shelters identify a missing dog that is brought to them.”