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Early observations on the effectiveness of the Compulsory Dog Microchipping policy, which was introduced across Great Britain in 2016, indicated improved reunification of stray dogs with their owners and an overall reduction in stray dogs handled by UK Local Authorities. However, concerns regarding its long-term effectiveness emerged due to inaccurate and out-of-date owner details on microchipping records. This study explores dog owners’ understanding of microchipping legislation, their engagement with microchipping databases, and practices relating to the accuracy of contact details. An online survey administered by YouGov Plc collected anonymous data from a representative sample of 1,510 dog owners in Great Britain between August and September 2020. Results revealed that even though most respondents indicated that they were aware of legal requirements, engagement with microchipping databases was low, with almost half of respondents reporting that they had never accessed a database platform. The majority indicated that their information on the microchipping record was accurate, however, there was a considerable confusion between microchipping databases and veterinary practice management systems, with many owners unable to identify which database held their records. These survey findings suggest that awareness barriers undermine the effectiveness of compulsory microchipping. Hence, in addition to the recent policy reforms of the UK government to introduce a central point of access and the requirement of microchipping database companies to send annual reminders, this study highlights the importance of improving public awareness through education campaigns.