Greek government Thursday required all dog owners to tag their pets in a bid to take control of the growing number of stray dogs ahead of the 2004 Olympic Games.

The agriculture ministry gave owners across the country six months to tag their dogs with microchips containing the dog's and its owner's data and said those abandoning their pets would face fines up to 1,000 euros. The Games are due to start in August.

The ministry also announced a plan to collect, sterilize and tag stray dogs across the country. Last month the Olympics host city Athens launched a similar plan for about 10,000 dogs roaming free around Athens.

The agriculture ministry on Thursday also approved plans to put dogs down if they were a serious threat to public health.

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