San Marcos Beats The Chip : 2ND Round

Local animal owners no longer required to chip their pets

SAN MARCOS – The City Council of San Marcos, Texas, unanimously voted last week to rescind a mandatory pet microchipping ordinance that would have required all pets within city limits to receive an injected implant. The 7 to 0 vote was made at the City Council meeting on March 31, 2009. All members were present and voted, including Mayor Susan Clifford-Narvaiz, according to San Marcos Communications Director Melissa Millecam.

The chipping ordinance was originally adopted last December and was slated to take effect on April 1st. The measure had sparked months of heated opposition and repeated demonstrations by local residents, including a protest and candlelight vigil at the March 3rd City Council meeting that drew a crowd of over 300 people.

“We applaud the San Marcos City Council for this decision,” said local activist Lisa Marie Coppoletta, who helped organize the March 3rd rally. “Chipping should be a voluntary decision between pet owners and their veterinarians. It should never be mandated by the government.”

For more information to start your own local group to stop Real ID,
visit 511Campaign.org . The 5-11 Campaign helps the individual
connect with local organizers who oppose the U.S. plan for a national
identity. For more information visit: 511Campaign.org or
contact : 511@511Campaign.org

San Marcos Animal Chipping Update

ACCORDING TO SAN MARCOS CETI :

Melissa Millecam, the public press contact for City of San Marcos, said today there was NO formal action to stop animal chipping, only discussion.

The City Council will hold another meeting to address the issue again March 31, 2009. The changes to city ordinance are expected to overturn mandated pet chipping to voluntary or delay implementation of microchipping until April 1, 2009. The City Council is sending this issue back to the Animal Services Advisory Board to discuss the issue again and report back.

City Hall plans to notify the public when they will hold the next public hearings on animal chipping. Melissa also stated the public/citizen voices were heard loud and clear. She mentioned that a lot of people spoke at the meeting and voiced their opinions contributing to an ongoing dialogue with the Mayor, council members and staff.

More From Dr. Albrecht on the issue here:

For more information to start your own local group to stop Real ID,
visit 511Campaign.org . The 5-11 Campaign helps the individual
connect with local organizers who oppose the U.S. plan for a national
identity. For more information visit: 511Campaign.org or
contact : 511@511Campaign.org

San Marcos Beats The Chip

San Marcos, TX – Last night Mayor Susan Nervais made good on a promise to overturn the mandatory pet chipping city ordinance in San Marcos. After several meetings with CETI, an anti-animal chipping group based in Central Texas, Nervais was joined in support of her decision to overturn by two other councilmembers during last nights City Council meeting.

Lisa Cappoletta of CETI, after organizing a potent coalition of anti-RFID groups in the area, turned up at the meeting to Collect on Delivery of Mayor Nervais’ promise. Approximately 100 protestors equipped with colorful signs, sang songs, chanted and cheered in favor of the decision. San Marcos struggle with the chipping mandate recruited efforts of National consumer privacy expert, Katherine Albrecht from Boston, MA.

“All we are sayyying, are give [pet] tags a chaaance…” – Daniel Cioper, protest minstrel of Castro’s Beard, Austin

To Lisa Cappoletta, Judith McGeary, Ms. Albrecht and the workers against the animal RFID experiments on the taxpayer’s dime, we here at BeatTheChip solute you.

For more information to start your own local group to stop Real ID,
visit 511Campaign.org . The 5-11 Campaign helps the individual
connect with local organizers who oppose the U.S. plan for a national
identity. For more information visit: 511Campaign.org or
contact : 511@511Campaign.org