Dog owners and breeders must comply with new laws to have all dogs microchipped and registered by tomorrow.

As part of the new legislation, dog owners must also have a certificate to prove microchipping and registration. The chip must be registered on a Government database.

It will be illegal to pass a dog to another person, even if there is no payment, without the dog being microchipped.

It is hoped that the new Bill will have animal welfare benefits, both for dogs and for farm animals, such as sheep and cattle.

Bernie Wright from Alliance for Animal Rights welcomed the new legislation.

"The whole thing will have to be enforced, that's the main thing," she said.

"We have loads of legislation really that, if it was stringently enforced, our dogs, our animals would be more or less protected.

"I just hope that this is accompanied by enforcement."