Here are some tips on how to make sure your dog or cat is wearing its proper identification.
Types of tags
Simple identification tags for your pet’s collar come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and styles; you can find them at pet stores or order them online. Whatever style you prefer, make sure the ID tag includes, at a minimum, your pet’s name and your phone number. (For greater flexibility and timeliness in an emergency, you might list your cell number instead of your home phone.)
Online registration
Another way you can help ensure a reunion with a lost pet is to register the pet online. After registering with a Web site such as Fido Finder or Get Me Home, you’ll receive an ID tag with the pet’s ID number. If someone were to find your lost pet, he or she could enter the ID tag on the Web site and receive your contact information in return. This could be most useful if you share custody of a pet with another person, as you can list multiple contact numbers on the site.
Electronic identification
Another possible pet identification method is to have a radio frequency ID (RFID) chip implanted under the skin. The RFID chip, about the size of a grain of rice, is injected beneath the pet’s skin; no anesthesia is required. Unlike a tag on a collar, an RFID chip can’t be easily torn off, lost, or removed. If your lost pet ends up in a place equipped to scan for microchips, such as a veterinarian’s office or an animal shelter, the information in the pet’s chip can be coordinated with the chip manufacturer, such as HomeAgain, to reunite you with your pet.
Required tagging
Another aspect of pet tagging is a legal one. Your dog or cat may be required by state or county law to wear a tag showing that it has been vaccinated for rabies. When you take your pet in for its vaccination, ask the vet whether you’ll receive a rabies tag in the mail or should order one yourself. Keep the paperwork that comes with your rabies tag so that you have a record of your pet’s vaccination, as well.
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