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June 18, 2001 YAROSLAVSKY ANNOUNCES NEW PET I.D. MICROCHIP PROGRAM Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky has announced that the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control has begun implanting pet I.D. microchips in all dogs and cats adopted from the County's six animal shelters. The program was initiated on a motion by Yaroslavsky approved by the Board of Supervisors on September 19, 2000. "The Department has been scanning for microchips at our shelters," Yaroslavsky said. "Now, it's time for the County to also start implanting them to help identify stray animals and return them to their homes and families." Yaroslavsky said the Department would establish its own local database for tracking microchip "hits." Yaroslavsky noted that microchips, about as big as a grain of rice, can be safely and harmlessly injected into a dog or cat's neck area - and then later "read" to reveal a code number linking the chip, and therefore the pet, to its owner. Yaroslavsky explained that implanting microchips in every animal adopted out of a County animal shelter would speed the process of pet-owner reunification, reduce sheltering costs, and help alleviate pet owners' uncertainty and anxiety about missing pets. In addition, he said, it could help increase the number of pets successfully placed and reduce the number of animals that have to be euthanized. "The great advantage of microchips is that they can't be lost, can't fall off, and don't depend on an owner's memory to attach a collar or license tag to his pet," Yaroslavsky said. He also praised the program's modest costs - an additional $5 as part of the overall adoption fee - to implant the microchip. "A $5 charge for ongoing peace of mind is an incredible bargain anyway you look at it," Yaroslavsky said.
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