Editor's note: The town hall date was updated following new information from the city.

Bastrop residents can weigh in at a town hall meeting on April 2 regarding a proposed ordinance requiring microchipping for all dogs and cats.

This follows a tabled motion to mandate microchipping at a Feb. 25 council meeting.

Two-minute impact

Robert McBain, an official with Bastrop’s animal control and code enforcement, said at the meeting that microchipping is more reliable than tags, which often get lost.

He noted that microchipping also helps reunite more pets with their owners, reduces shelter intake, and eases the taxpayer burden of the $270 per pet fee for intake at the animal shelter.

City Manager Sylvia Carrilo-Trevino said keeping pets out of the shelter not only saves taxpayer money but also keeps pets from being euthanized.

The cost

Council members raised concerns about the cost of mandating microchipping.

Jeremy Parks, executive director of nonprofit animal welfare organization Save an Angel, said they offer $22 microchipping services for all pet owners, regardless of income, and are working with local businesses to sponsor free microchipping events.The next event will be on March 30 where the organization will offer $22 microchipping, free rabies shots, and other low-cost pet wellness services, he said.

“Our current ordinance to register an animal is $25,” McBain said. “$22 for microchipping is much better.”The council also noted challenges with enforcing the mandate.

“[McBain] is not going to go out knocking on doors and checking if your dog has a microchip; that is not the intent,” Carrillo-Trevino said, adding that the goal is to reunite pets before they ever end up in the shelter.

Stay tuned

Following the town hall, council members will reconvene to discuss the microchipping mandate on or after April 26.

• April 2, 5:30 p.m.
• Bastrop City Hall, 1311 Chestnut St.