Doña Ana County, NM Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

C, part of the general care and maintenance chapter, places two separate duties on anyone owning or having charge, custody or care of a dog or cat. First, the owner must provide proof of a current implanted working microchip upon the request or scan of the Animal Control Officer, meaning the Unit can check compliance in the field with a handheld scanner rather than waiting for a complaint. B. The definitions section, § 134-2, defines an 'identification microchip' as a small integrated circuit implanted beneath the skin, typically between the shoulder blades, storing a unique alphanumeric code registered to the owner's contact information.

B, anyone who finds and holds a stray animal must let the Animal Control Officer scan it for a microchip on request, and the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley scans every impounded animal to try to identify an owner before the reclamation clock in § 134-25 runs. There is no separate annual microchip-registry fee in this chapter; the duty is to maintain a working, registered chip and produce proof of it. Enforcement runs through the Animal Control Unit deputized under § 134-22.