A CHIP shop with a difference is due to appear in Lancaster and Morecambe next week.

The NCDL's travelling roadshow will be offering local dog owners on-the-spot microchipping for their pets at the subsidised rate of £9.50.

The roadshow is an integral part of the NCDL's 'Give a Dog a Life' campaign which aims to help end the destruction of stray and abandoned dogs in Lancashire.

Microchipping is a permanent way of identifying a dog, and means that should he ever get lost, he can be returned to his owner quickly and easily. The painless process takes just seconds and involves inserting a chip, the size of a grain of rice, into the loose skin at the back of a dog's neck. The chip holds all the relevant contact details of the dog and

his owner. Penny Judd, NCDL, Head of Campaigns, said, "Microchipping is a simple procedure that could save your dog's life. The NCDL is working hard in the North West to highlight the problem of stray and abandoned dogs, many of which are destroyed.

But we cannot do it on our own - we need the support of dog owners and potential dog owners to stop this tragic and unnecessary waste of life." The campaign has a dedicated telephone hotline for dog owners which provides information on activities in their local area - 0845 606 3036.