Akron, OH Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

155 does not create a microchipping mandate; it authorizes the City to build and keep a database of chipped cats and dogs belonging to Akron residents. Registration is opt-in: a resident who has already had a cat or dog microchipped may then submit the owner's name, address, telephone number, and the animal's microchip number to the City for entry in that database. Once an owner registers, the ordinance places an ongoing duty on that owner, not just an initial filing: the owner must notify both the City and the microchip's manufacturer whenever registry information changes, such as a new phone number or address, so the record stays current.

The database's purpose is operational rather than punitive. 152 counts a microchip as one of the ways a shelter can identify an animal's owner before the redemption period runs out. The ordinance traces to Ord. 109-2004, the same 2004 ordinance that overhauled Akron's Animal Control Warden duties, impoundment fee schedule, and redemption procedures, so the microchip registry was adopted as one piece of a broader modernization of how the City tracks impounded pets rather than as a standalone chipping law.