All pets reclaimed from animal shelters in California would have to be microchipped prior to leaving the shelter under a proposed bill.
It paid off a day later when the rambunctious puppy bolted through an open door. Animal control officers found the dog, scanned him and knew immediately where he belonged, Dorame said.
In addition to avoiding the heartbreak of lost pets, some lawmakers believe that microchips can save money by cutting costs at shelters where lost cats and dogs are cared for and sometimes euthanized. California lawmakers will vote later this summer on a bill requiring microchips in every dog or cat adopted or claimed from a shelter. If passed, the measure, introduced by state Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, would be the first of its kind enacted in the U.S., according to Sharon Curtis Granskog, spokeswoman for the American Veterinary Medical Association.
“A few states require shelters to scan but do not require them to actually microchip,” Granskog said. “New York has introduced a bill every year, including this year, that would make microchipping dogs mandatory.” But the efforts so far have failed.
California taxpayers pay about $300 million every year to impound 1 million dogs and cats, house them and euthanize half of them, according to the Cities and Counties Annual Reports submitted to the state controller. Thirteen percent of lost pets entering shelters in California are reunited with owners, Lieu said, but studies show that number could grow to 75 percent with chips.
Dr. Linda K. Lord, associate dean for student affairs at Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, studied 53 shelters in 23 states between August 2007 and March 2008. Co-authors included another veterinarian, a humane society representative and a consultant to a Canadian pharmaceutical company, which was also parent to a microchip manufacturer.
They found shelters located owners of microchipped pets in three out of four cases.
When owners couldn’t be found, it was because of incorrect or outdated contact information in the chipmaker’s registration database, Lord said.
It is up to pet owners to register chips and keep the contact information updated. Costs for a chip and registration run $15 to $75.
Please do not make this mandatory. Let the individuals decide. These chips are not safe and they cause tumors. Be a responsible pet parent and eliminate the need for chips. http://www.chipmenot.org/
I received a citation from city of Riverside on Jan 15th because my two dogs don’t have a microchip and the city hall and riverisde animal shelter forced me to do it within 30days. However I really dont want to do it because i heard that the microchip is not 100% safe and causes cancer. My two dogs are toy size and always stay indoor, but the city of Riverside will send me about $ 200 fine every month if i refuse it what animal shelter said. Please help me how can I avoid it.