(a) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (b), a public animal control agency or shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelter, humane society shelter, or rescue group shall not release a cat to an owner seeking to reclaim it, or adopt out, sell, or give away a cat to a new owner, unless either of the following conditions is met:
(A) The cat is microchipped with current information on the owner reclaiming the cat or new owner receiving the cat, as applicable.
(B) If the agency, shelter, or group does not have microchipping capability on location, the agency, shelter, or group first obtains from the owner reclaiming the cat or new owner receiving the cat an agreement that requires the owner or new owner to present to the agency, shelter, or group, within the next 30 days, proof that the cat is microchipped as described in subparagraph (A).
(2) If the agency, shelter, or group does not have microchipping capability on location, the agency, shelter, or group shall make a good faith effort to locate available free or discounted regional microchipping services and provide that information to the owner or new owner.
(3) An agency, shelter, or group may require proof that the cat is microchipped with current information on the owner reclaiming the cat or new owner receiving the cat before releasing, adopting out, selling, or giving away the cat, as applicable, pursuant to paragraph (1).
(4) For purposes of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1), an owner reclaiming a cat or new owner receiving a cat is not required to register the cat’s microchip number with a microchip registry company that will use, without the owner’s or new owner’s consent, the personal information of the owner or new owner for purposes other than to reunite the owner or new owner with the cat.
(b) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), this section does not require a cat to be microchipped if a licensed veterinarian certifies in writing that the cat is medically unfit for the microchipping procedure because the cat has a physical condition that would be substantially aggravated by the procedure.
(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), this section does not require a cat to be microchipped if the agency, shelter, or group receives a signed form from the owner reclaiming the cat or new owner receiving the cat that states that the cost of microchipping would impose an economic hardship for the owner or new owner.
(c) (1) An agency, shelter, or group that violates this section on or after January 1, 2022, is subject to a civil penalty of one hundred dollars ($100).
(2) Section 9 does not apply to a violation of this section.
(3) An agency, shelter, or group that does not have microchipping capability on location is not subject to the civil penalty described in this subdivision upon obtaining the agreement described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).
(Added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 108, Sec. 2. (SB 573) Effective January 1, 2021.)