EASTPOINTE, Mich. – The city of Eastpointe has passed a package of updated animal ordinances, including a rule requiring microchipping for all dogs and cats.
Eastpointe is the first city in Michigan to adopt an ordinance requiring microchips for both cats and dogs.
At a popular dog park in Eastpointe, pet owners said the changes are generating plenty of conversation.
“I’m happy about it. I think it’s a good idea. To get the dogs microchipped,” said pet owner Edie Duggins.
Eastpointe Animal Control says the ordinance requires all dogs and cats four months and older to be microchipped and registered.
A microchip is a small device placed under a pet’s skin. When scanned, it can provide the owner’s contact information, helping reunite lost pets with their families.
Officer Ashley Sanchez, who leads Eastpointe Animal Control, called the new requirement a major step forward.
“The mandatory microchipping is a game-changer. It is going to help save a lot more lives,” Sanchez said.
Another ordinance targets how pets are transported in vehicles.
Eastpointe is now prohibiting animals from riding in the flatbed of pickup trucks, even if they are in a crate or carrier.
“Whether they are in a crate or in a carrier, it’s prohibited in Eastpointe now,” Sanchez said.
The rule requires pets to travel inside the vehicle, and the city also stresses that animals cannot be left alone in extreme weather.
Duggins said she supports the change.
“I think it’s a good idea. A really good idea. I hate to see animals in the back of the pickup trucks,” Duggins said.
The city is also adopting stricter rules to curb cat breeding.
“We’re no longer allowing any kind of breeding whatsoever when it comes to cats,” Sanchez said.
Under the ordinance, residents cannot keep an intact male cat living with an intact female cat, meaning one of the cats must be spayed or neutered.
“There’s too much reproducing that it’s just not healthy for them. It’s not healthy for humans,” Sanchez said.
Eastpointe Animal Control says officers will enforce the new ordinances, and violations could lead to citations and misdemeanor charges.
Sanchez said microchipping is a simple process, and the city often holds free microchipping events for residents, funded through a grant she secured.
Residents with questions can contact Eastpointe Animal Control for details on microchipping and compliance with the new rules.