The Hon. Mayor Susan Narvaiz
c/o Collette Jameson, Assistant City Manager

City of San Marcos
630 East Hopkins
San Marcos, TX 78666

February 24, 2022

Dear Mayor Narvaiz:

I am writing to urge the City of San Marcos to reconsider its mandatory pet microchipping ordinance. As you may know, a dog died just last month after receiving an RFID microchip implant, thus raising new questions about the safety of the chipping procedure. This tragic incident is part of a growing body of evidence that has caused many communities to reject mandatory microchipping in favor of voluntary programs that leave the choice of microchipping up to the pet owner.

According to documentation from the FDA, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, and a number of respected veterinary and pathology researchers, the risks associated with microchip implantation are numerous. They include paralysis or death from improper insertion, MRI incompatibility, migration of the implanted transponder, transponder failure, electrical hazards, tumor formation, infection, abscess, cancer -- and now, death from bleeding.

I have enclosed documentation that provides evidence of each of these risks, including a review of multiple research studies showing that microchips have caused cancer in laboratory rodents and in dogs. I have also enclosed an extensive "Frequently Asked Questions" document that may help address any questions you or your colleagues may have on this topic.

My research in this area has been extensive. As a Harvard-trained researcher and privacy advocate, I have spent over six years educating policy makers and the public about risks associated with RFID technologies. I have delivered invited testimony before the Federal Trade Commission, various state legislatures, the European Commission, and the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. I was appointed by Governor John Lynch to serve as an expert member of New Hampshire's two-year RFID study commission, and my work on RFID has been published in respected journals such as Scientific American, the Denver Law Review, and the American Legislative Exchange Council's "ALEC" journal.

I applaud your efforts to promote the safety and well-being of animals in San Marcos. With that end in mind, I strongly urge you to modify the Animal Control Ordinance to allow pet owners to decide this important issue for themselves, in consultation with their veterinarians.

I will be attending the San Marcos City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 3rd, and will be happy to provide testimony or answer any questions you may have at that time. Meanwhile, please feel free to contact me with any additional questions concerning the enclosed materials.

Very truly yours,

Katherine Albrecht, Ed.D.
Founder and Director
CASPIAN Consumer Privacy