(KXAN) — Austin is the latest in a series of Texas cities to mandate microchipping for all pets within the city, following approval from Austin City Council on the code amendment Thursday.
Austin’s now-approved code amendment requires microchipping for animals “at least four months of age” that aren’t wildlife or livestock, according to city documents. There aren’t any fees or criminal charges related to the mandate; instead, city efforts are designed to focus on educational outreach and service resources to help with compliance.
San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, El Paso, Fort Worth and Waco are all major Texas cities that already have mandatory microchipping policies in effect. In an email to KXAN, Chief Animal Services Officer Don Bland said many cities in the U.S. that feature high shelter reclaim rates also require microchipping.
While some communities across the country do incorporate fines — and even criminal charges — for people who don’t microchip their pets, Bland said the Austin Animal Center will offer free microchipping during its open hours and will oversee the initial microchip registration for pets adopted from AAC.
Along with AAC offering microchips during its operating hours, the new city mandate outlines building up Austin’s microchipping system with planned microchip scanners at all city police and fire stations, recreation centers and libraries. Austin’s animal protection officers will also carry scanners on their person or in their vehicles.
“If you move, change phone numbers or rehome your pet, the microchip needs to be updated with a call to the microchip company to update your contact information,” Bland wrote. “When a pet is adopted from the Austin Animal Center or any animal organization the initial registration to the new pet owner will be handled by the adopting organization.”
Right now, Bland said only about 1% of animals arriving at AAC have a microchip. With overcrowding issues being a substantial problem at AAC, city documents said this mandate also aims to alleviate some of those shelter resource strains.
Microchips include addresses and contact information for registered pets’ respective owners. As part of the new requirement, all microchips must have up-to-date contact information, and any added or changed contact details must be made “within 30 days of the date of the change in contact information.”
“Our hope is that this will give animals the ability to get back home without ever having to enter the shelter,” Bland said. “Currently we see about one percent of the animals arriving at the shelter with a microchip, while they cannot tell us how to contact their family, the microchip can.”