emergencies

Identifying Your Dog On the National Dog Registry site they leave no doubt about how important it is to have permanent ways to identify your dog in the event it’s lost or stolen.  They make a great case for doing as much as you can to be sure that your dog can be returned to you,

“Nearly one out of every five dogs in the US will be lost or stolen this year. The ugly trade of pet theft is a serious problem. It is an organized, multimillion dollar business that lurks in shadows and goes unnoticed until it strikes your community, your home, your pet. There is a high demand for animals for use in research, dog fighting, human and animal food, and fur. Yes, family pets are even sold to be used for fur...in gloves and coats. It’s hard to distinguish cat fur from rabbit or shepherd from fox! In the short time since you began reading this page, 30 pets have been euthanized in shelters or pounds...and others have died, perhaps not quickly, in research laboratories. Many animals are put to death simply because their owners cannot be found. These unfortunate pets have no permanent, traceable identification to show where they belong.”

Here are several important things you need to consider to identify your dog:  proper I.D. tags, collars, microchipping and tattooing.

I.D. Tags are very important and are your first line of defense in having your dog returned to you, so you need to think carefully about the information you are going to put on them.  Even if your dog is microchipped, you can’t count on someone having a scanner to read it at any time of day or night or in any given situation.  Your dog’s tags may be the only way to find you.

So, what is the best phone number for someone to reach you?  It’s most likely your cell phone number because you’d have your cell with you and could be reached quickly, no matter where you were.  But if you couldn’t be reached, then adding another family member’s cell, your vet’s number and your job number would be vital, wouldn’t it? Time is of the essence in getting your dog home.

My personal feeling is that the best information for I.D. tags is a dog’s name, your street address, and two cell phone numbers.  You should buy an I.D. tag that holds enough lines for this information.  If your dog has health issues or is elderly and deaf, buy two tags and put them on the same collar.  The more information you have on your dog the better.  And, don’t forget to check them frequently to keep them updated. 

I have several collars for my dogs and each collar has a set of tags on it.  In an emergency, there’s no time to think, so being prepared now could save your dog’s life and reunite them with you.

In addition to I.D. tags, a great idea is to get your dog a buckle collar that has their name and your cell phone number embroidered right on the collar. This guarantees that even if the tags are lost, you can be reached. This is especially helpful if you have a large dog or one that might intimidate someone trying to read it's tags because they'll be able to see the dog's name and your number without having to handle the dog around it's neck.

Microchips are a way to identify your pet if it is lost or stolen. A microchip is as small as a grain of rice and is injected with a steril needle under the skin on the back of the animal. Each microchip has an individual identification number that the owner registers with their vet and the microchip service. If your pet is found, a shelter or vet would be able to use a scanner that would read your pet's individual identification number, and return your pet to you. There are several microchips on the market. Ask your vet which they recommend. My dogs have HomeAgain and Avid microchips. You can read about the HomeAgain microchips on their site, and about Avid Microchips on their site.

Tattoos are another method for identifying your dog. Why Tattoo your dog? Because Tattooing provides a permanent, registered identification. You can read everything you need to know about tattoos here at the National Dog Registry.