MONTREAL -- It is one minute to midnight for dog and cat owners in Montreal and Laval. Microchipping and sterilization of their animal will be mandatory as of Jan. 1, with a few exceptions.

Microchip implants make it possible to identify a lost animal and to quickly notify its owner. In addition, the device cannot be lost and accompanies the animal all its life, unlike tags.

It is a capsule - the size of a grain of rice - inserted under the skin of the animal which contains a computer chip with an associated serial number in a computer system with the owner's contact details.

"Veterinarians have access to the data in the file instantly, thus avoiding overloading shelters and carrying out avoidable euthanasias,'' notes the City of Montreal on its website.

"The microchip helps relieve the great stress experienced by people who have lost their companion much more quickly," said Montreal SPCA spokesperson Anita Kapuscinska.

According to the Association des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (AMVQ), microchipping costs about $70 in a veterinary clinic. It is $45 at the Montreal SPCA and the price is generally even lower when the municipalities organize microchip clinics.

Sterilization

With sterilization, the City of Montreal first aims to control the number of stray animals and limit unwanted litters that can lead to overcrowding in shelters and euthanasia.

The operation, which is performed under general anesthesia by a veterinarian, prevents the animal from reproducing. It can usually be taken home the same day or the next day.

The practice also has other benefits, including preventing tumours and infections, reducing the tendency for animals running away during breeding season, and reducing excessive cat meowing.

"Sterilization brings only advantages for cats and dogs in our society,'' said AMVQ spokesperson Michel Pepin.

In Montreal, rabbits also need to be sterilized.

The AMVQ estimates that sterilizing a cat should cost on average between $219 and $289. The bill is in the range of $328 to $367 for puppies.

The Montreal SPCA offers sterilization services at low cost to low-income residents but refuses to publicly disclose the prices.

Sterilization is not compulsory under certain conditions when the practice is contraindicated by a veterinarian, when the dog or cat is used for breeding and when the dog is less than six months old.

The majority of the 1,000 dogs and 5,000 cats received by the Montreal SPCA are not sterilized or microchipped on arrival. The organization believes that the obligation of these practices will greatly help to decrease the number of euthanized animals.

The minimum fine for any owner who fails to comply with the regulations was set at $300 in Montreal and $100 in Laval.

Microchipping was first made mandatory in Laval on Jan. 1, 2019, but the city pushed back the deadline after having "heard the concerns of Laval residents'' who asked for more time to comply with the regulations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2019.