Metro Council passes microchip mandate for Louisville pet owners

Louisville residents will soon be required to have their pets microchipped under an ordinance passed by the Louisville Metro Council on Oct. 16.

Supporters of the law say it will help Louisville Metro Animal Services return lost pets to their owners more efficiently, and, in turn, reduce the shelter’s intake and population.

The ordinance requires all dogs and cats over the age of three months to be microchipped. If a pet owner moves or gets a new phone number, they must update the microchip within 30 days. And if a pet is transferred to a new owner, both the old and new owners are responsible for ensuring the pet’s microchip is reprogrammed.

Louisville animal control officers will check for compliance when responding to calls for help, and those found in violation could be issued a citation, LMAS Director Andy McClinton previously said. Pet owners found in violation of the law could be fined up to $500.

LMAS expecting surge in microchip requests

McClinton has acknowledged to council members at past meetings that the mandate will likely induce a surge of pet owners looking to get their pets microchipped.

LMAS estimates roughly 25,000 pets will be microchipped in the first year after the ordinance takes effect, McClinton said at an Oct. 8 public safety committee meeting — a burden that will need to be addressed through various initiatives.

Because of the volume, a six- to 12-month grace period will be necessary to give pet owners time to comply. In an email, LMAS spokesperson Stephanie Jackson said the agency is “actively working on the details for the grace period and will share the specifics in a future update.”

Veterinarians across the county will be notified of the mandate, McClinton said. His hope is that owners who are able will have the procedure done when they visit their veterinarian for other reasons, like vaccinations.

Various events that encourage microchipping, like pop-up and mobile clinics, could improve access for pet owners, he added. And, when possible, offering the procedure for free at sponsored clinic events could reduce the cost barrier of the mandate.

“We know five or six of the zip codes where we get the highest amount of strays,” McClinton said. “This is where I would need council, I would need community partners. We would have to go into those communities and set up clinics in those communities and offer them at $10 or — if we can get sponsors — to offer it for free.”

Mandate will help get pets back home, officials say

LMAS officials said the legislation would expedite the process of returning lost pets to their owners and free up shelter space for other animals.

At the Oct. 8 committee meeting, McClinton told council members that in 2024, LMAS took in 5,857 stray pets without microchips. Of those, 769 — or 13% — were reunited with their owners. In contrast, of the 964 stray pets that had microchips, 469 — or 49% — were returned to their owners.

“If they’re microchipped — and the microchip is updated — it’s a massive jump,” McClinton said.

Over the past six years, LMAS has returned about 35% of pets it takes in to their owners on average, McClinton previously said. He believes that rate could jump to above 50% thanks to the new law.

Councilman Andrew Owen, one of the ordinance’s sponsors, previously told The Courier Journal that he worked alongside stakeholders in the animal care and advocacy community to shape the ordinance, which has been in the works for over a year.

The law also establishes a lifetime animal license for pet owners who comply with the ordinance. Rather than paying a recurring license fee, pets that are microchipped, spayed or neutered, and vaccinated for rabies are eligible to be permanently licensed for a one-time $25 fee.

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Reach Killian Baarlaer at kbaarlaer@gannett.com or @bkillian72 on X.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville cat, dog owners must microchip pets under new law