Microchipping Your Cat or Dog May Soon Be Mandatory in California - National Humane Education Society
Update (9/22/2020): Governor Newsom signed SB 573.
Paws Up!
September 17, 2020
To the California State Legislature for passing Senate Bill 573.
Every year millions of beloved companion animals go missing. Thankfully, social media and lost pet websites have made it easy to alert others that your treasured Buddy or Whiskers is missing. Microchipping your cat or dog and keeping it updated increases your chances of being reunited with your lost companion. A study completed by Ohio State University’s Department of Veterinary Preventative Medicine revealed that 73% of owners were found because their pets had microchips.
At the beginning of 2020, California Senator Ling Ling Chang introduced Senate Bill 573 to require animal control agencies, animal humane societies, animal rescues, and animal shelters to microchip any homeless cats or dogs if an owner is not found. SB 573 includes exemptions for animals who have medical conditions and for owners who reclaim their pets and cannot afford the microchipping fee. In the latter case, the owner would need to sign a document stating the cost would be a hardship. If passed, SB 573 will go into effect on January 1, 2022. Any violations will result in a $100 fine. Currently, it is waiting for Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature.
Take Action: If your pet has a microchip, take the time to make sure your current contact information is listed. If your pet does not have a microchip, ask your veterinarian for more information about microchipping.
Microchipping a pet is the only way that can reunite a dog with its owner. This should be done especially since too many people are stealing/kidnapping pets, harming them, or doing whatever just to get revenge towards someone. All animals need to be protected just as humans are. Unfortunately a dog cannot talk/speak for themselves so they need others to help them.
All animals should be microchipped in case of an emergency so they can be reunited with their owners again. Too many animals are being stolen or kidnapped for whatever their weird purpose may be. Animals need a voice for them and to help them get reunited with their owners.
Ok well if you think that microchipping them is giving them a voice then what do we do to give them a voice against not wanting to be microchipped I think that is one of the stupidest things I have ever read or heard that they all need to be microchips so they can be returned to their owners well what if those owners are severely abusing those animals and they’re able to get away what if it’s a situation like that what do you do then or what microchip them so they can go back to their freaking abusive owners and be abused or maybe even killed or or starved to death or whatever the case may be I mean okay so why don’t we just start microchipping our children or microchipping oh wait they’re already f****** doing that covid-19 duh