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National Pet ID Week
I have received a couple of emails from Dogster over the past few weeks reminding me that this week (April 18-24) is National Pet ID Week. Well since this is something that is near and dear to my heart, I thought I would just pass along some of the tips they have suggested and a few of my own.
Dogs get lost every day. In fact, statistics show ONE IN THREE pets will get lost at some point in their life. I have noticed the number of “lost pet alerts” from Home Again has increased dramatically in the past two weeks or so. The weather is warming up here in Ohio and more people are out with their dogs and are leaving them unattended in their yards – dogs get out and roam free. I have read statistics as high as 90% of pets with out current identification never return to their families. 90% are you kidding me!
There are several things you can do to increase the odds of reuniting with your lost pet.
Always have your pet wear a collar with a sturdy ID tag displaying your current information.
Not only are collars fashionable, they your first line of defense (btw – this is how I justify my collar addiction). People are much more open to helping out a roaming dog that has a collar and tags. It is a homing beacon to the Good Samaritan that this stray is loved and someone wants it back (ie: if they get involved they have the expectation they will not get stuck taking the dog to the pound/shelter, or having to keep it). Most Pet Shops, Walmart and engraving shops have machines on hand to make an inexpensive metal tag on the spot in less than 5 minutes. That 5 minutes could be the difference between your dog being euthanized or sleeping on the foot of your bed tonight.
I suggest putting your cell number on the tag as a primary number. Since you will most likely be out looking for your lost pet, you won’t have your home phone in your back pocket or purse, it will be your cell phone. I have my dog’s name, my cell number and home number listed, in that order on my tags.
Many online shops have gorgeous designer tags that give your dog a little bling and added p’nosh. My dogs wear large 1.5″ Red Dingo Tags – stylish, sturdy and guaranteed for life. My favorite collar maker Sew Crazy Dog Lady carries them at the lowest prices I have found anywhere…..
- $9.50 for small (3/4″ round)
- $10.00 for medium (1″ round)
- $10.25 for large (1.5″ round)
Have your Pet MICROCHIPPED.
There are several companies that provide microchipping various services and programs. Most shelters, veterinarians and rescue groups have or have access to a microchip reading wand. In the event your dog is brought in, they will be able to look for a chip and contact the company to get your personal information to call you. You will be provided with a tag listing the microchip number for your pet to wear alerting who ever finds the dog that it is microchipped. Periodically check to make sure your information is up to date, including alternate contact numbers (you can log into your account online to view your information). Some microchipping companies provide an insurance policy for your pet covering injury and illness arraising while it is lost.
The most widely used microchip companies in the US are AVID and HomeAgain. These companies are both widely recognized. Most veterinarians carry one or the other, but not both. The local animal shelters are generally able to scan for both chips, if they scan an animal with an AVID scanner and a HomeAgain chip has been inserted in the animal, the scanner will alert the handler that a chip is present.
So regardless as to which microchip you choose (exception ISO chips) to use your pet can be found with a scanner, and when a veterinarian decides to carry microchips the microchip company will give a scanner to the veterinarian and the local shelter.
ISO frequency chips (134.2 kHz frequency) are used through out Europe and are NOT compatible with most US scanners. Currently Banfield located in Petsmart stores use the European chips… make sure you ask what chip you are having inserted and make sure it is an Avid, or HomeAgain chip (125 kHz microchips) To read more.. here
My dogs are microchipped through HOME AGAIN – There is an initial fee for signing up for the service and for an additional $14.99 per year, I opted for the “premium service”. If my pets go missing Home Again will send out a LOST PET ALERT to all veterinarians, shelters, rescues and (opted in) Good Samaritans alerting them that your pet is on the lamb. They are also covered for upto $3000.00 in medical charges resulting of injuries or illness while they are missing. Dog vs. Car incidents usually dont end in the dog being the victor… its a great value for $14.99/year. Hopefully you will never have to use it, but its comforting knowing it is there in the event you need it.
Mirochips are available for insertion at most veterinary clinics, shot clinics and at a reduced cost through some rescue groups at fund raising activities. All of my dogs were chipped at rescue events for a reduced fee. Make sure you know who is going to register the chip… I was not aware I had to have my chip registered myself and Zeus and Apollo were not in the system for over a year…… So double check with the provider and make sure you have a good understanding before you leave.
Some municipalities require dogs and cats to be mircochipped and registered with the auditor.
Have a current photo of your pet
Having a current photo is very important for creating a lost pet flyer. It is also important to note that you should be able to have access to this photo at all times. Many pets go missing while their owner is on vacation. Being able to access a photo online (flickr, photobucket, snapfish and dogster are examples of free photo hosting sites) while away from home will provide invaluable when trying to locate your lost pet.
Keep you dog license current
Most states require that you register dogs (and in very few cases cats as well) with the auditors office through a dog licence. Some are as local as a city and others (like where I live) are through the county. Ohio requires all dogs over 3 months of age to have a current rabies vaccination and yearly dog licence on file. My county has a searchable database with all dog tag numbers to reunite dog with their owners. Remember a few months back I found the wandering beagle? The dog was wearing only it county license. I contacted the dog warden and was given the phone number to call the owner. With in 10 minutes the dog was reunited with the dog sitter. Not only will having your dog licence keep you from getting a ticket, but it may just save the life of your pet.
Great tips! My two dogs only have microchip but I’ll buy new tags for them.
Anas last blog post..New presents!
Great idea Ana… although a microchip is VERY important having a current tag is the fastest way to reunite with your beloved puppers. Glad you liked the article. I love your blog by the way and am adding it to my blog roll if you don’t mind.
It’s funny. I’d never tag a person but I’d tag my dog. In fact, I do tag my dog. When I was a kid, we had a beagle named Al who really liked to run around and one day, being the dog he was, he managed to open the gate and run out. I was devastated. It took a whole day to find him. That was my dog I raised from a puppy! Since then I am all for way to track pets because I don’t even want to lose a pet for real.
Matts last blog post..Beagle Breed Information
Check, check, check, etc…I think we have those covered…especially the current picture part.
Great post…very informative! 
Ambers last blog post..Wordless Wednesday & Happy Earth Day!
Excellent post! This is a great reminder for me to make a new tag for our dog. We changed her name last minute before we got her from Dozer to Africa. I had a tag made with Dozer on it so now I need to get the correct one. This is great advice for all pet owners. My husband and I chased a stray the other day only to find it didn’t have a tag. It sure would make things easier for the owners. Keep up the good work!
http://trainingboerboels.blogspot.com/
Kashas last blog post..Africa gets some bling!
Matt, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.. Current tags are a must in my household just for that very reason. No matter how careful we are, the law of averages seems to work against us and they eventually get out despite our best efforts. One other option I didnt mention in my post (since it seemed a little over the top for the average viewer) which is something you may want to look into is a GPS tracker for your dog. Garmin makes one called the Astro DC 30 (http://www.gundogsupply.com/dog-gps.html) for about $200.00, Zoombak makes one for around $100 (http://www.zoombak.com/products/pet/) and one called the ROAM-EO (http://www.roameoforpets.com/) which will sync up with a web-enabled smart phone for tracking – this one is a little more pricey at $400. Some people say those sorts of devices are overkill… but whos to say what the price tag is for peace of mind.
Thanks Amber, I figured you’d have it covered!
How are the puppers doing? I need to make my rounds and stop by. Hope all is well!
Not only are non-id lost animals not found—over 75% of all domestic animals captured nationwide by Animal Control facilities are euthanized! There’s a great new pet rescue tag service called “Pawtags Rescue”- where each tag has its own id number and Live trained 24/7 Operator rescue services for $10!
Their service allows you to develop a profile with up to ten contact numbers, listing rabies id, microchip info, city licensing, vet and medical info along with the pets profile. When someone finds your pet the Operators access this confidential info and use it with Google Maps, 3-way conferencing, etc. to get your pet home or to a safe place until picked up. The service also auto-creates a PAWS Alert psoter to print or PDF and more importantly gives an owner an Animal Control Facilities zip code search that provides theonly locations in 50 square miles that intake lost pets! This is so important simce in some cities animals only have 3 days to euthanizaton!
The tags are guaranteed for life, weatherproof, cool looking and for $10 you get tag and one year freee service. You can upgrade to a lifetime for 19.99–so overall with a pets life average of 14 years thats less than a $1.50 a year. It kind of reminds me of the Verizon support team commercials–you know if anyone finds your lost animal a live trained rescue person will make sure it gets home or to a safe place. Great deal–its at http://www.pawtags.com.
Both of my boys are chipped and have tags on all their collars.
Doris last blog post..Bosco’s class…
My dogs are my children and as a good parent it is my responsibility to know where my doggy kids are at all times. Keeping your dog properly tagged can save you and your dog a lot of hard ache.
Be a responsible pet owner… tag your dog.
Bully Sticks
http://www.bestbullysticks.com
Dog Treatss last blog post..How To Prevent Ticks From Frustrating Your Dog – 101 Dog Care Tips- Tip 14
We have all those things! I hope we never have to use them.
Slobbers,
Mango
Is there a site that lists the number of dogs licensed by state?
Thanks for the resource Johnny
Good girl Dori, certainly wouldn’t wont those handsome devils of yours to get lost with no way home
I sure hope you don’t have to use them either Mango! It’s a nice feeling knowing they are there just in case though. Looking through all the statistics on line its really scary to think about any of our dogs being one of those statistics.
Don, I dont know if there is or not. Not all states require dog licensing, though most do. And licensing while required by state law is done at at county or city level. I am not aware of any resource for obtaining this information in Ohio. If you need information for your state, you could possibly call the auditors office and ask who they report their license information to, if they even do. They may keep all info at a local level. Good luck. Thanks for stopping by my blog, hope to see you around again.
GREAT article!
I use a company called Returnmoipets for my 3 dogs. The service is great and i think they were the first to come out. cute video http://www.returnmoipets.com
Glad to know your fighting to help rescue dogs and animals alike
Dogpile.com just launched a new site called http://www.DoGreatGood.com – and their donating a portion of there revenue to Petfinder and the ASPCA.
Great that theres a way we can help dog adoption programs at no cost.
Love the site – keep it up!!!
Unfortunately, here in Richland county having a dog licensed is no safeguard.
It will not help you and your pet to be reunited.
Right now there is a beautiful Germans Shepherd male that “will go up for adoption” if unclaimed by 6-2-09.
It states that he “was wearing tags at the time of pick up.
All the deputy Dog Wardens were laid off so I guess the Dog Warden does not even bother to try to locate the owners.
If a dog in the pound has a tag there should be an effot made to find the owners.
With money short the owner is due a fine for not having control of the dog, so why would they not even try to enforce the law?
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13787440
CJ – Thanks for the comment. What a shame about the GSD. I suppose the other side of the coin could be the family lost their home an just dumped the dog, the tags could be out of date w/incorrect information (if people are not vigilant about updating info when they move, tags can do little good) or the owner can not afford the fee to reclaim the dog. Having a dog picked up by the dog warden is a COSTLY proposition. Here in Franklin County its a double whammy. First you pay to a fee to have the dog impounded and then you get a ticket in the mail for failure to control/confine your dog. Its possible they are down on their luck and cant afford to get the dog back. Either way, its sad for the dog. He’s the only one that looses. xx Lora
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Betty
http://smallpet.info
The biggest problem here is people not providing proper ID for their pets. Shelters and pet owners should check into a new program that provides id tags with live operator rescue support–called Pawtags. They shelters receive 72% of the profits from the program and it cuts down on animal control pick-ups and service costs because they reunite the lost pet with their owners!
Not only are 90% 0f non-id lost animals not found—over 75% of all domestic animals captured nationwide by Animal Control facilities are euthanized! There’s a great new pet rescue tag service called “Pawtags Rescue”- where each tag has its own id number and Live trained 24/7 Operator rescue services for $10!
Their service allows you to develop a profile with up to ten contact numbers, listing rabies id, microchip info, city licensing, vet and medical info along with the pet’s profile. When someone finds your pet the Operators access this confidential info and use it with Google Maps, 3-way conferencing, etc. to get your pet home or to a safe place until picked up. The service also auto-creates a PAWS Alert poster to print or PDF and more importantly gives an owner an Animal Control Facilities zip code search that provides the only locations in 50 square miles that intake lost pets! This is so important since in some cities animals only have 3 days to euthanization!
The tags are guaranteed for life, weatherproof, cool looking and for $10 you get tag and one year free service. You can upgrade to a lifetime for 19.99–so overall with a pets life average of 14 years that’s less than a $1.50 a year.
It kind of reminds me of the Verizon support team commercials–you know if anyone finds your lost animal a live trained rescue person will make sure it gets home or to a safe place. Great deal–it’s at http://www.pawtags.com
[...] http://itsthedogslife.com/2009/04/national-pet-id-week/ [...]
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