Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Control topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Iroquois County Health Committee advances microchipping ordinance, formalizes animal-control fees
Summary
The Iroquois County Health Committee reviewed and moved to adopt an ordinance requiring microchips for dogs and cats at rabies vaccination, discussed a $25 microchip fee for animals released from the shelter, and directed fees into the county spay-and-neuter fund; the motion was moved and seconded and a roll call vote was held.
The Iroquois County Health Committee discussed a proposed ordinance March 2 that would require all dogs and cats in the county to be microchipped for identification at the time of their rabies vaccination, with puppies and kittens required to be microchipped by four months of age, the committee chair said.
The measure, as read to the committee, would make the microchip number serve as an animal's registration number and place collected fees into the county animal-control spay-and-neuter fund. Committee members discussed a $25 microchipping fee for animals released from the shelter or for owners reclaiming an impounded animal; staff said fees charged by veterinarians for microchipping may be higher.
Why it matters: Microchipping supporters said the program will improve return-to-owner rates for lost animals and reduce long-term shelter intakes. The fee schedule also formalizes how the county will collect and allocate funds, including directing revenue to spay-and-neuter programs.
How the committee acted: Jody moved to adopt both the microchipping ordinance and the Iroquois County animal-control fee schedule; Roger seconded and the committee proceeded to a roll-call vote. The transcript records at least one recorded "yes" vote (Francis) but does not capture a complete tally in the available text. The meeting continued to other business after the roll call.
What the ordinance says: As described to the committee, the ordinance requires microchipping at the time of rabies vaccination, sets a compliance date for young animals (four months), and makes microchip numbers the registration identifier. Animal-control staff explained coordination with state-administered microchipping systems for transfers to rescues.
Next steps and implementation: Staff and the committee discussed logistics including offering a combined low-cost microchip and rabies-clinic day, and the need for a veterinarian to administer rabies vaccines while animal-control staff perform microchipping. Committee members indicated the fee will be added to the county code fee schedule and deposited into the spay-and-neuter fund.
Attribution: Motion to adopt the ordinance was made by Jody and seconded by Roger. The chair led the ordinance reading and vote. The transcript does not include a full recorded roll-call tally in the available segments.
