Joe Herrera never hesitates to microchip his dogs, but he wasn’t always so sure about it.
“I thought it was going to be painful,” the 54-year-old from Panorama City said, as he relaxed with his four dogs at Sepulveda Basin off-leash dog park on Wednesday morning, Feb. 26. “I’m like, how can they live with something inside them all the time.”
But when his vet offered to microchip his dogs for $25 during their sterilizations, he went for it. First up was Roco, his now 10-year-old poodle mix. Herrera braced for a reaction, but Roco didn’t flinch. Seeing that, Herrera had the rest of his pack microchipped too.
Not all pet owners take that precaution, and that’s part of the problem, officials said. Thousands of cats and dogs end up in Los Angeles shelters each year, many without any form of identification.
To help reunite more animals with their owners and ease overcrowding at the city’s six shelters, city officials are considering a policy that would require all pet owners to microchip their four-legged companions, including dogs, cats, rabbits and horses.
On Tuesday, Feb. 25, the City Council’s Arts, Parks, Libraries and Community Enrichment Committee sent to the full City Council a report from the Department of Animals Services that addresses whether the policy can be realistically implemented.
The committee also directed the Department of Animals Services, the City Administrative Officer and other departments to develop guidelines for a one-year pilot program to educate pet owners about microchipping, making it more accessible and increasing participation.
While pets adopted from shelters are microchipped, Los Angeles does not have a citywide mandate requiring it. Los Angeles County, on the other hand, mandates microchipping for dogs and cats over four months old in unincorporated areas and cities that contract with its animal care department.
A microchip is a tiny electronic chip about the size of a grain of rice. It’s injected under an animal’s skin between the shoulder blades and registered in a national database with the pet owner’s contact information.
Most animal shelters and veterinary clinics scan lost pets for microchips to identify and contact their owners, said Elizabeth Oreck, senior manager of community engagement at Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles.
“When people do microchip their pets, and they keep the information current, it is absolutely the most effective way to ensure that lost pets are reunited with their families,” Oreck said.
The proposal was introduced last summer by council members Monica Rodriguez and Bob Blumenfield, who represent Council Districts 7 and 3, respectively. But concerns have been raised about feasibility and compliance, as not all pet owners can afford microchipping or have easy access to veterinary services.
Los Angeles is home to an estimated 2.4 million pets, but most are not microchipped, according to Michelson Found Animals, an L.A.-based nonprofit dedicated to pet welfare. Only about 25%, or roughly 600,000 pets in L.A. have a microchip, leaving 1.8 million without it.
The animal services department charges $15 to microchip pets and offers grant-funded assistance to residents who can’t afford the fee.
Debate has also emerged over enforcement. Officials have opted for a non-punitive approach to the proposed microchipping policy.
Some residents have questioned whether the mandate would be effective without enforcement. Others, like Elizabeth Oreck, argue that penalties could place an unfair burden on pet owners with limited access to resources.
In an emailed statement to this publication on Tuesday, Councilmember Rodriguez acknowledged concerns with the proposal, but said that, given the city’s fiscal outlook, investment in microchipping now could yield significant long-term savings by lowering the number of lost animals and staffing needs.
“Fewer lost pets mean fewer resources dedicated to shelter care and animal control” Rodriguez said. “Implementing a citywide mandatory microchipping policy is a major undertaking, and we have to ensure it is both practical and effective.”
Shelter overcrowding has worsened in recent years due to limited access to affordable spay and neuter services, inadequate funding, and an increase in pet surrenders as people returned to work after the pandemic. Some breeders have also abandoned unwanted animals at shelters.
Rodriguez also noted that compliance is a concern. Even in places where microchipping is mandatory, she said, compliance rates vary. For example, while L.A. County requires microchipping, the return-to-home rate for lost pets remains at just 11%.
“That tells us a mandate alone is not enough, we need to ensure people not only microchip their pets but also register and update their information regularly,” she said. “Our goal is to make compliance easy and accessible.”
At Sepulveda Basin Dog Park in Encino, several dog owners said microchipping provides peace of mind.
“I think getting your dogs microchipped is excellent,” said Silvia Molina, 48, of Arleta, who was there with her dogs, Roco and Kaiser, both microchipped. “If your dog runs away, you can at least find it either at a shelter or a vet can scan it. It always gives you that possibility that you will find your pet versus not being microchipped.”
Julie Hardesty, 54, of Reseda, agreed. Her two-year-old maltipoo, Ernie, is microchipped, and she says it provides an extra layer of security. She also believes microchips can deter theft.
“If you have a higher-end breed or something like that, which mine is not, then you can make sure that there is no dog theft,” Hardesty said.
Fortunately, Herrera, who has owned nearly 10 dogs so far, has never needed to rely on microchipping to recover a lost pet. But he believes the decision to microchip pets reflects a deeper level of care.
“If you get somebody that is going to microchip their dog, that’s somebody that loves their dog, or cares for them enough to take care of them,” he said. “So you would assume that they’re going to actually take care of the dog.”
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
