Maxwell adopts dog‑licensing ordinance; microchip-reader purchase deferred

The council adopted Ordinance No. 345, which requires owners of dogs older than six months and located in town to procure a city dog license. The ordinance permits no‑fee licensing for dogs with microchips or veterinarian tags (owners must provide chip or tag information on the application). The ordinance also imposes a $10 delinquency fee for late renewals.

Councilors debated practical details: whether people temporarily housing out‑of-town dogs (for example a neighbor watching a dog while the owner is away) must obtain a Maxwell license; staff said the ordinance’s intent is to have every dog residing in town registered, but implementation details may be handled administratively. Council instructed staff to add microchip fields to the license application form so chip numbers and vet information are recorded.

Separately, council considered purchasing a universal microchip scanner. Staff reported the city currently has about 15 licensed dogs on record but does not know the full population of dogs in town. Concerns included who would operate the reader (the city code previously named Tony as the officer but Tony said he no longer wants the role) and whether weekend needs justify buying a reader now. Councilors agreed to defer the purchase until staff can determine the number of licensed/chipped animals and identify a responsible animal-control officer or partner agency.