ORIEL Y Parc Gallery and Visitor Centre in St Davids was a hive of animal activity when it hosted a Dog Awareness Day.

The Dogs Trust brought its Chip My Dog roadshow to the gallery’s tower, where owners queued up to get their four-legged friend microchipped free of charge.

It follows a similar event hosted by Pembrokeshire County Council’s dog wardens in May, when almost 20 dogs benefited from the scheme.

It was also an opportunity to raise funds for Guide Dogs Cymru.

As of March 1, 2015 it will become compulsory for all dogs in Wales to be microchipped, with the aim of improving animal welfare and developing responsible dog ownership. It will also help to reunite lost dogs with their owners. It is estimated 190,000 dogs will need to be microchipped before the deadline.

Paula Ellis, manager at Oriel y Parc said they have had a good response. “Lots of people that live in the area and a few visitors on holiday have had their dogs done, but it’s not just about chipping, it’s about responsible dog ownership. As a national park we really want to encourage people to look after their dogs when they’re out on the beaches, on cliff walks and walking through fields of grazing cattle.”

Dogs Trust campaign manager for Wales, Sian Edwards, said: “We have seen an increase in the number of stray dogs in Wales this year, from 9,482 in 2011 to 10,230 in 2012 which shows the problem of stray dogs in the country is as prevalent as ever.

“While at Dogs Trust we never put a healthy dog to sleep, our rehoming centres are very stretched so we constantly need to reach out to owners to help them get their dogs microchipped and neutered to help prevent the scores of stray and unwanted dogs we take in every year.”