CITY OF LOS ANGELES

DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SERVICES

POLICIES and PROCEDURES

MICROCHIP SCANNING POLICY AND PROCEDURE

Date Issued: December 1, 2009 (Rev.) Division Code: OPS POLICY To insure every owned animal is returned to its owner as quickly as possible, Department employees will scan every animal to determine if a microchip is present. PROCEDURE Any department employee receiving an animal shall scan the animal before it is booked into Chameleon. If a microchip is found, the number shall be recorded in Chameleon by the employee who found the chip. The employee shall immediately place a Possible Owner (PO) hold on the animal. If the chip information is not in Chameleon, contact the correct chip company (i.e. AVID or Home Again) for the owners info. After researching the chip information, the employee shall place a memo into Chameleon with the correct owner information. The employee shall place a copy of the kennel card into the ACT Supervisors box and another copy with Please Send Letter into the PO Box in the clerical office. The clerk shall check the memo in Chameleon and send the letter to the address listed in the owners information memo. The letter will allow 7 days for the new owner to redeem the animal. The clerk shall place a memo in Chameleon with the date the letter was sent and their ID#. The clerk shall change the review date of the animal to 7 days after the letter is sent and update the window. The clerk shall attach the kennel card to a copy of the letter sent and file it by month in the file cabinet. The Animal Care Technician Supervisor (ACTS) shall take their copy of the kennel card and change the review date on the hard copy to the date in Chameleon. ACTS is also responsible for the continuous monitoring of all POs at their shelter. If the owner does not contact LAAS prior to the review date, the animal will be available for adoption. ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS (ACO) ACOs shall scan an animal in the field or at a private veterinarians facility. This procedure shall be done before the animal is impounded into Chameleon. Officers may unload the animal at a shelter where a veterinarian is located before scanning. Upon finding a chip, the ACO shall follow the procedure as described above.

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Then the employees will use the microchip information completely differently from the way the microchip manufacturers intendedand in a manner completely different from the way they tell the public on their own website.

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In other words,LA AnimalServices will notcontact themicrochip if ithas anyinformation in itsown records(regardless ofthe accuracy oftheir records).

Send a letter??!! Are theykidding?? Whywould they maila letter ?? Whywouldn't they usethe phone? Whomakes up thesepolicies??

THIS IS THE WAY THEY REALLY USE MICROCHIPS!!

TO TELL THE PUBLIC ONE THING AND DO SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENTAND LIE ABOUT IT.

At least they're consistent in that they instruct all employees to misusemicrochips in the same manner.

I wonder if "new owner" is a typo. Theway they use microchips, your animalis very likely to have a new owner.

That's just great!

Whose idea was itto check Chameleonfirst? That's notwhat the Avidbrochure says orwhat it says onLAAS website.

Policy-Microchip Scanning Rev. December 1, 2009 Page 2

ANIMAL CARE TECHNICIANS (ACT) ACTs shall scan any domestic or exotic animal when the animal is received. Employees shall scan an animal an additional time upon any of the following:

Redemption

Adoption

Transfer

Euthanasia (Includes Died In Kennel)

Dead on Arrival (DOA) Should a chip be found, the ACT will follow the procedure as described above to insure the owner is properly notified. REGISTERED VETERINARIAN TECHNICIANS (RVT) RVTs shall scan any animal upon all exit evaluations. Should a microchip be found, the RVT will refer the matter to an ACTS who will follow the procedure as noted above to insure the owner is properly notified. NOTE: All employees shall scan an animal regardless of its condition. Employees may use the pole scanner (long handled) to safely scan an animal when conditions warrant. Animals determined to be too fractious to be scanned by one employee shall not be scanned until additional personnel are available to safely accomplish the task.