The count down is over for pet owners in Montreal and Laval to microchip and sterilize their pets, as it just became mandatory as of Jan. 1, 2020.

While there are a few exceptions, dog, cat and rabbit owners in Montreal and Laval must have their pets sterilized and microchip in order to avoid fines up to $300. 

Montreal's new microchip bylaw: Scan your cat/dog here, please

The SPCA applauds the move, saying it's "one of the best ways to be able to find your companion animal in the event they’re lost or stolen."https://t.co/tbS1wJkMXD pic.twitter.com/pxuAfbcmoM

— Stephanie (@Pureanimallover) December 16, 2019

The mandatory practices aim at keep animals out of shelters in the city, as the majority of dogs  cats received by the Montreal SPCA are not sterilized or microchipped on arrival.

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.

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

According to the City of Montreal website, residents will have to provide a veterinarians note and proof of breeder registration to avoid being fined for not having pets spayed and neutered. 

This isn't the first initiative put in place by the city of Montreal to curb stray animal populations. In October of 2019 the city introduced a Trap-Neuter-Release-Maintain program (TNRM), which aims to reduce Montréal’s homeless cat population.