Council passes pet microchipping ordinance

Dr. Alvarez, a local veterinarian and committee member, said pet doctors would not turn in people that take their pets to them without microchipping. 

“That is not our role in the community,” Alvarez said. 

Alvarez added that the microchipping process is simple and inexpensive.

“And it goes along with the cost of pet ownership,” he said. “It is not a necessity. It is a want. If you own an animal, there are certain costs associated with that.”

Council agreed not to begin enforcing the microchipping ordinance until July 1 after an extensive educational period. As far as any fines, initially, a penalty not to exceed $500 for violating the ordinance was proposed. Council is working on a policy to ensure that anyone faced with a fine would pay a lower than normal amount citation fee for failing to comply and can also have the option to have charges dismissed if they obtain the chip within a set time period.

The policy is still being worked on, Jason Calder, city spokesman, said. 

“The Health Department, Animal Advisory Committee and Municipal Court will meet to get the exact policy together,” Calder said. 

Ellen Holloway, the animal committee’s chair, said they did not propose the ordinance lightly. 

“It was a very thorough procedure. And we looked at all of the plusses and minuses,” Holloway said. “We tried to make a decision that would work for everyone.”

Holloway said animal control officers that pick up stray animals can see if they are microchipped and return the lost animal to their rightful owners. 

“As far as cost and inconvenience, within minutes of saying we wanted to do this, there were several animal welfare groups that offered to put events together to offer free and very inexpensive microchipping,” Holloway said. “Our intent was not to make some kind of problem for owners, but to keep animals safe and with their families.”

Jerris Mapes, city attorney and legal advisor for the committee, addressed the possibility of the fines going up to $2,000. She said any fine associated with the ordinance is “stipulated within the animal ordinance itself with each individual offense requirement.”

“It does not state the fee along each line,” Mapes said. “It is listed once in the animal ordinance, and it is there in regard to public safety. There is very clear guidance from the state on what is considered public safety where it gets raised to the possible $2,000 fine and this would not qualify for that. So, there is no risk of it being raised.”

Councilman Mike Lester said it was a tough subject. 

“Microchipping has been around for more than 20 years. It is not new technology,” Lester said. “We hear about and listen to on the news about animals being dumped everywhere. If they were chipped, we could pick those animals and call the previous owner and say did you misplace your pet? We have it and you need to come to get it. This is where we could hold them accountable and be a little more responsible.”

Lester added that as far as fines and penalties, the code is not trying to be punitive.

“It is about trying to help and fix a long-term problem of stray animals never being returned.  

This is a way of helping folks,” he said. 

Councilman Jacob Powell voted against the ordinance. 

“For me, I think it is something a responsible pet owner should do,” Powell said. “But, I do not know if it is our responsibility to force them to be that responsible.”

Councilwoman Heather Betancourth said the issue of cost was not a problem for her. 

“I think that is something we can consider as a council funding,” Betancourth said. “There are a lot of private dollars out there that would probably pay for microchipping. I’ve seen Petco and PetSmart bring no-cost microchipping events to Baytown and we can encourage more of that.” 

Councilman Charles Johnson described himself as a “happy camper” about the ordinance. 

“I think it is a great thing. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this,” Johnson told committee members. 

Councilwoman Laura Alvarado said proposing the ordinance was “too much” for her at this time.

“We need a little more time before we can require people to microchip,” Alvarado said. 

Alvarado added she would like to see the education rooms at the new Animal Services and Rehabilitation Center. 

Mayor Brandon Capetillo said legislating responsible pet ownership is difficult. But he championed the ordinance and asked for the fines to be around the same as it would cost for microchipping animals. Capetillo also encouraged the educational and grace period, so people will have time to comply before the ordinance takes effect in July. 

Capetillo, Johnson, Betancourth and Lester voted in favor of the new measure. Alvarado, Powell and Councilman Chris Presley voted against it.