Meridian dog and cat owners will need to have their pet registered after a new city ordinance went into effect this week.

Animal Control Supervisor Brian McCary said registration, which is good for one year, costs $5 and will include a microchip if needed.

“Back in October of last year, the City Council passed an ordinance that requires every resident in the city of Meridian to register their pet with Animal Control Division,” he said. “That registration is $5 and the byproduct of that registration is a microchip.”

Animals need to be at least three months old to receive a microchip, and owners must present proof of a rabies vaccine when registering their pet, McCary said. Installing the microchip itself is a quick and simple procedure, he said.

Pets that already have a microchip will still need to be registered and have their information added into the city’s database. Pet owners that would prefer not to have their animal microchipped can choose not to receive one but will need to be registered regardless.

“Registration is placed into a national database for chipped animals,” McCary said. “And then if we come in contact with your animal or if someone else does and takes it somewhere and gets it chipped, they’re able to pull that sequence of numbers up in that database and get your pet returned to you.”

Service animals do not need to be registered, McCary said, and only those living inside the Meridian city limits will be allowed to register their pets.

For more information about the pet registration program or to set up a time to register your pet, contact Meridian Animal Control at 601-485-2325 or stop by the animal shelter at 501 Cooper Avenue. Office hours are 8 a.m. – noon and 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.