Washoe County commissioners agreed to proposals by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office to allow Regional Animal Services to provide pet owners with free microchips and waive late fees for dog license renewals.

The sheriff’s office proposed these two campaigns as part of efforts to increase successful returns of lost pets and raise awareness about the value of dog licenses.

Animal Services will determine dates and locations for the campaigns, which are scheduled to begin in February.

The proposed microchip campaign allows Animal Services to provide free microchips to pet owners for one year.

A microchip is a small, electronic chip enclosed in a glass cylinder about the size of a grain of rice. The microchip is activated by a scanner which receives information about the pet’s owners and home from the chip.

The goal of waiving late fees for dog licenses is to increase public awareness about the importance of dog licenses. Licenses benefit the animals, the dog owners and the community in many ways. The program will be for one year.