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BASTROP — Pets who escape their homes in Bastrop are racing the clock at the county shelter, but a new microchipping ordinance could buy them more time to make it home safely.
The Bastrop County Animal Shelter, located at 589 Cool Water Drive, is only required to hold an animal for 72 hours after it’s picked up—if the shelter is full, pets risk euthanasia after that window closes. A regulation approved by City Council April 8 could extend that timeline up to 10 days for animals with a registered microchip, giving owners a better chance of being reunited with their cherished pets.
“One thing that people don’t always understand is that even though you’re going to go to the shelter to reclaim your dog, it has to take a kennel—and it takes the kennel from someone else,” said Robert McBain, the city’s animal control and code compliance officer. “Many times at the shelter, they have to put down an animal to make room for another animal.”
The ordinance requires all city residents to have their dogs and cats, aged four months and older, implanted with a registered microchip. New pet owners must microchip their animals within 30 days of acquisition or of moving into the city.
The measure stirred debate earlier this year when first presented in February. Council delayed its decision until staff could host a public meeting for community feedback, which was held April 2.
Of the roughly 20 attendees, none spoke out against the proposal.
City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino said she had hoped more critics of the ordinance would have participated in the discussion.
“A lot of what I heard (from those opposed) is, ‘We’re turning into Austin,’” Carrillo-Trevino said. “Well, no we’re not, because Austin endeavors to be a no-kill and our shelter is killing because they’re running out of room.”
According to the Bastrop County Animal Shelter’s website, the facility houses all dogs and cats picked up by animal control officers in Bastrop, Elgin and Smithville. While the shelter works with rescues and adoption networks to save as many animals as possible, its open-intake status prevents it from adopting a no-kill policy.
McBain emphasized that accurate microchip information helps return pets to their owners without the animals ever having to enter the shelter system. Animal control officers, veterinarians and shelter staff can scan for a microchip and contact the owner directly.
“I’d rather bring a pet back to its home than bring it to the pound,” McBain said.
The city also conducted a survey prior to the decision, gathering 169 responses over two weeks. Of those, 51% said their pets were already microchipped, and 88% supported microchipping as an effective method for reuniting lost pets.
Cost concerns were the top reason cited by those opposed to microchipping.
McBain said the city plans to work with the Bastrop Animal Shelter and Save an Angel, a nonprofit animal welfare group, to provide affordable microchipping services.
Beyond the risk of euthanasia, McBain noted that pets at the shelter face stress and potential illness. He added that microchipping has even helped solve pet theft cases when stolen animals were scanned during veterinary visits.
There’s also a financial incentive, with each stray animal picked up and brought to the shelter costing taxpayers about $270, McBain said.
“The pro is we could spend a lot less and put the rest of that money into spay and neuter programs, helping folks who perhaps can’t afford to spay and neuter their pets,” McBain said. “Helping folks become responsible pet owners is the biggest win out of all of this.”
