Haverhill, MA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

There is no general microchip mandate for dogs kept in the City of Haverhill. Instead, City Code § 137-17C(1)(b) lets the Chief of Police, once a dog has been determined dangerous or vicious under § 137-17A, order the owner to submit written verification of microchip identification if the animal is not already microchipped, with the chip's mode designated by the Animal Control Officer. The identical requirement, word for word, applies one tier down under § 137-18B(2) to dogs the Chief or the Animal Control Officer has instead classified as merely "potentially dangerous": a dog that acts highly aggressively when unprovoked and could jump or escape a fenced yard, or whose owner has been cited more than once in twelve months for letting it run at large.

A potentially dangerous dog's owner must also, per § 137-18C, be at least 18 years old to be responsible for the animal, post a "Beware of Dog" sign per § 137-18D, and pay a $25 annual licensing surcharge under § 137-18E. After two years of compliance, § 137-18B(6) lets the potentially-dangerous designation lapse. Microchipping under either section is one item on a checklist the enforcing officer can require alongside spay/neuter, behavior training, and rabies vaccination; it is not billed as a separate city fee in the chapter.