I recently spent time with Minneapolis Animal Care and Control, MACC, and have been very impressed with the good things they are doing in the Minneapolis community. Their mission is ‘Working with residents to create safe and healthy communities for people and animals’ and it has become evident to me how they live up to their mission.

There is so much to share with you I have decided to make this a two part posting. The first part will talk about the importance and benefits of licensing your pets. In the second part I will be talking about the programs and services MACC offers.

Pet Licenses

It is the pet owner’s responsibility to license their pets. Minneapolis Ordinances 64.10 and 65.10 require the licensing of all dogs, cats, ferrets and rabbits. But licensing your pet goes far above and beyond legal responsibility. None of us like to think of our beloved pets being lost, but it does happen. Licensed pets are more than 3 times likely to be returned to their homes than pets without licenses. If your licensed pet is picked up by MACC, not only are you not charged an impound fee, your pet receives a free ride home to a joyful reunion with his/her humans.

By licensing your pet, you are helping MACC pay for:

• Basic veterinary and emergency care for all stray animals
• Animal investigations and enforcement in cases of bites, animal cruelty and dangerous animals
• Efforts to home stray and abandoned animals
• Enforcement of laws ensuring safe communities for people and pets

MACC makes it easy to license your pet. You can:

• License your pet online
• Call 311 or (612) 673-3000 to license your pet over the phone
• Download the Minneapolis Pet License application (PDF), complete the form, and mail it to us. Mail-in applications may take several weeks to process.
• Visit the location closest to you
• If your pet is deceased and was licensed with MACC, please email us your name, address and pet’s name

My experience this past month with MACC, made me very thankful to live in a city that is making great strides in being pet friendly!  Keep up the good work MACC.

If you have any questions regarding licensing your pet in Minneapolis, please contact MACC.

The next segment of this post will be about the programs and services MACC offers.