"This is a case where Oakland was ahead of the ball instead
of behind it," said police Sergeant David Cronin, head
of the animal services department, who helped draft the ordinance,
which is in the process of being approved by the city.
"It's a relatively new idea," he continued. "I
think we will see most communities make it a requirement in
the coming years."
The microchips are about the size of rice grains and are easily
implanted under the skin of dogs' necks, according to Cronin.
"For most dogs, it is completely painless," Cronin
told AFP. "Others yelp for about a second."
The animal services department charges owners 10 dollars to
implant a chip, which stores an identification number that
can be read by a handheld scanner, Cronin said.
Information about dog owners is linked to those numbers in
a computer.
"It is very effective, cheap and easy," Cronin said. "We
hope it will result in more dogs being reunited with their
owners."
Breaking the law once will result in a warning. Second offenses
will be punishable by fines of 100 dollars, and subsequent
strikes will be hit with fines of 1,000 dollars, according
to the ordinance.
Dog "chipping" will help police deal with problems
ranging from dog theft to owners surreptitiously swapping tags
from one pooch to another the way people switch license plates
on cars, according to Cronin.
"Dog theft is a nationwide issue," Cronin said. "Small
dogs are very popular right now."
Dogs are stolen from cars and yards for resale, to be used
as training "bait" for fighting dogs, or "because
they are incredibly cut, like this Chihuahua in my office right
now," Cronin said.
The ordinance is expected to go into effect by the fall. In
addition, it bans people from owning more than three dogs unless
granted an exemption and also bars the ownership of roosters
in city limits.
The limit on dog packs in the city is aimed at curbing noisy
barking and animal abuse, as well as thwart illegal breeding
operations, Cronin said.
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