Microchips required on local dogs

To reduce the number of dogs euthanized at animal shelters, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has amended animal control codes to require that all dogs in the county's unincorporated areas must be spayed or neutered and have a microchip implanted containing the owner's contact information.

The city of Agoura Hills said it will follow suit.

Nathan Hamburger, assistant to the Agoura Hills city manager, told the city council earlier this month that all dogs over the age of 4 months must undergo sterilization to reduce the flow of unwanted dogs that end up in animal shelters.

In his report, Hamburger said that unsterilized dogs have created a crisis in the county. From July 2005 to July 2006, nearly 24,000 dogs were impounded by the animal care and control department. Of that amount, 220 dogs were brought to the Agoura Animal Shelter on Agoura Road.

During the previous fiscal year, 40,000 dogs were impounded in the county. Nearly half of these dogs were euthanized when owners did not claim them at local animal shelters.

The 2004-05 statistics proved to be record-breaking for the county, which claimed the dubious honor of having the highest number of impounded dogs of any animal care and control agency in the nation.

"The goal is to eliminate euthanization," Hamburger said. "However, in order to reach that goal it is important to first greatly reduce the number of dogs flooding our shelters."

Although the agency prefers a "no-kill" philosophy, Hamburger said, there are not enough adoptive homes available for the number of dogs that end up in shelters.

He also noted that unneutered male canines intent upon breeding can be dangerous. Unsterilized dogs, he said, are also more likely to stray, and more likely to bite or attack people or other animals.

Hamburger said the microchips implanted under a dog's skin are the size of a grain of rice, and the procedure is both nonsurgical and painless. The microchip provides an identification number that tracks the owner's contact information, allowing animal control personnel to more quickly reunite stray dogs with their owners.

Several exceptions were included in the county program. Breeders of purebred dogs and owners of dogs that compete in registered dog shows will be exempt from the new law, but owners must fill out an application at the animal shelter to receive an "unaltered animal license" for their pet. Elderly or sick dogs that might not survive spaying or neutering surgery can also be spared from the procedure.

Hamburger said a warning will be issued to dog owners who do not comply with the new law, but after the warning, a $40 fine will be imposed. Further violations will result in higher fees.

The Agoura Animal Shelter will spay or neuter dogs for a nominal charge. Microchipping services are also available at the site. Vouchers are available for pets of senior citizens or low-income residents who can't afford the services.

Councilmember Harry Schwarz said the Agoura Animal Shelter offers free microchipping on Fridays, and the cost of spaying or neutering a dog is "nominal."

The city council unanimously approved the ordinance on Aug. 9.