Memphis Chapter 5 pairs annual rabies-license registration with microchip requirements for adopted and impounded animals, supporting return-to-owner workflows handled by the Public Animal Services Division.
Memphis Code Chapter 5 requires every dog and cat over four months to wear a current city license tag tied to a rabies certificate. Animals adopted from PASD are microchipped before release, and the city encourages voluntary chipping at low-cost clinics. Owners must keep contact data updated with the chip registry; outdated info that delays return is treated as a license violation. Tennessee TCA §68-8-103 governs rabies vaccination, while Memphis layers the chip-and-tag rule. The chip database is the primary tool MAS uses to reunite stray animals with owners before stray-hold expiration.
Citations for unlicensed pets, additional fees added to impound redemption, and possible adoption-out of strays whose owners cannot be located through chip records before stray-hold expiration.
Memphis, TN
Memphis requires dogs on leash in public. Off-leash in designated parks only. TN Code §44-17-108 covers dangerous dogs (behavior-based only).
Memphis, TN
Tennessee preempts all breed-specific legislation statewide. TN Code §44-17-120 prohibits cities from banning specific dog breeds. All regulation behavior-ba...
See how Memphis's microchipping rules stack up against other locations.
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