Pendle Dogs is urging dog owners to keep their pets' microchips up-to-date

The law requires pet owners to microchip their dogs by eight weeks old and update their contact details on a government-approved database. All dogs must also wear a collar and ID tag outside in public, which details their owner's name and address, including postcode.

But, Pendle Dogs says only two out of 11 dogs it found straying recently had up-to-date details of their owners.

Paula Knowles, the manager of Pendle Dogs, said: "We scanned 11 dogs over eight or nine days recently and only two had up-to-date details. I'll say to people, 'If you give me the details, I'll change it for you.' I won't charge them but they don't seem interested."

Paula says she often encounters a single stray dog who has had multiple owners over its lifetime. She added that outdated details make it harder for animal rescues to reunite stray pets with their owners.