SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio City Council unanimously approved a new pet licensing program on Thursday, making registered microchips the primary means of licensing for pets inside city limits.
According to Animal Care Services director Kathy Davis, San Antonio is the largest city in the nation to adopt the microchip as its main method for licensing pets. The city ordinance is scheduled to go into effect June 30.
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The one-time microchip injection is similar to a vaccination, and the chip itself is no bigger than a single grain of rice. Using a handheld device, veterinarians and shelter workers can then read the chip's unique identification number to trace the pet back to its owner.
"Microchips keep you connected with your pet for a lifetime," Davis said. "They ensure that no matter when or where your pet gets lost, we can help them find their way back home."
Davis said the city has seen a 35 percent increase in return-to-owner rates since ACS began providing registered microchips and enhancing return to owner processes.
During the program's inaugural year, San Antonio residents can have microchips inserted in their pets for $5 at the ACS shelter at 4710 State Highway 151 and at monthly microchip clinics throughout the community.
One of those clinics is scheduled for Friday. The MEGA Microchip Mania clinic will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. at Pearsall Park at 4700 Old Pearsall Rd. Dogs and cats are welcome and no appointments are needed.