Perth Amboy, NJ Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

Article II of Chapter 178 of the Perth Amboy City Code is the city's Trap, Neuter and Release program, adopted 11-9-2015 by Ord. No. 1793-2015. Section 178-17 allows feral cat colonies in the City of Perth Amboy and lists what colony cats require. Two of those requirements are about identification. The left ear of a colony cat that has been spayed or neutered and vaccinated shall be ear-tipped, which § 178-15 defines as the removal of approximately three-eighths of an inch off the tip of the cat's left ear in a straight line performed by a licensed veterinarian. Then an Electronic Animal Identification Device, called an EAID in the code, shall be inserted into the cat by a veterinarian in accordance with professional medical standards. The sponsor is the named contact for the device.

The sponsor is either Perth Amboy Animal Control, which the code approves as a sponsor, or another person or entity that applies to the City and signs an Animal Control-approved sponsor contract.

Section 178-17 F puts the chip to work. An Animal Control Officer who traps a cat with a tipped left ear, or another distinguishing mark showing it belongs to a colony, shall scan the cat for an EAID. If one is found, the officer is responsible for contacting the sponsor or other person named as owner. If the owner or sponsor cannot immediately take custody, the officer returns the cat to the appropriate colony. If the cat has no EAID, the officer contacts the sponsor so the cat can be properly placed in a colony, and if the cat is obviously a domestic cat the sponsor arranges care until the owner is located.

Caregiver duties in § 178-19 repeat the point. Caregivers make every attempt to ear-tip all cats and arrange for the implantation of an identification microchip for each cat in the colony. If that is not practicable, photographic documentation adequate to identify the cat shall be obtained. Caregivers also maintain proof of sterilization, vaccination, ear-tipping and implantation of microchip, plus medical records for all cats, and hand those records to Animal Control on request. They register the colony with the Animal Control Office for the City of Perth Amboy.