All Dogs in England Must be Microchipped Before 2016

In some ways this could be a good thing for all the dogs that get abandoned by their owners at shelters and on the side of the road. If a dog is microchipped, he will be registered to an owner and that owner will be accountable for the welfare of their pet.
It may discourage individuals that go ahead and buy puppies as a Christmas or birthday present because they are cute without really thinking about the long-term responsibility of keeping that dog healthy and happy for many years to come.

At least this way maybe the idiots out there who mistreat and abandon their dogs will think twice before doing so.