Hundreds of people have brought their dogs and cats out into the summer heat at Capitol Park for a free micro-chipping event.

Inside a trailer, Sacramento SPCA Shelter Medicine Chief Laurie Siperstein-Cook uses a thick needle to implant the chip - about the size of a grain of rice - between the shoulder blades of a cooperative young Chihuahua:

"The microchip is in here so I'll scan this ….

Democratic Senator Ted Leiu has written a bill that would require anyone who adopts a dog or cat from a shelter to get them micro-chipped within 30 days.  If you lose your pet and pick it up from the shelter, you'd have the same requirement. 

Lieu: "Every year in California we impound over one million animals.  Half of them are euthanized."

Lieu says it would save the state and local governments more than 300 million dollars a year.  The bill has passed the Senate and must still be taken up by the full Assembly.