No one wants to think about their pet getting lost. But accidents will happen, and if your pet ever goes missing, you’ll want to get them back as quickly as possible. There are many things you can do to make finding them easier. Taking a few precautions, like getting customized ID tags, can help you get your pet back sooner. Here’s why pets need ID tags.
Pet ID Tags Can Help Bring Them Back Home
The collar tags from your pet’s rabies vaccinations or city license can help bring them home if they ever get lost. The person who finds your pet can call the city number on the license tag or the veterinary office that issued the vaccination tag.
But a personalized ID tag with your phone number is even better. It will make it easy for a friendly neighbor to contact you as soon as they find your pet. That way you won’t have to go through all the worry and waiting while they try to figure out who the lost pet belongs to.
And just in case your pet loses their collar, a microchip ID can help bring about a reunion. Embedded under the skin, the microchip contains a license number that a shelter or clinic can use to look up your contact information.
Important Information to Include on Pet ID Tags
Choosing the right information for your pet’s ID tag is very important. In the past, people used to put their full name and address on their pet’s tags. However, now that almost everyone has a mobile device in their pocket, a phone number is more practical.
Besides your phone number, you might also want to include:
- Your pet’s name
- Warnings about any prominent health concerns, such as seizures or medications
- The phone number for your vet or another family member, just in case you cannot be reached
How to Choose the Right ID Tag for Your Pet
- Decide if you want to go with engraved metal or a QR code. An engraved tag with a phone number means even those without access to a smartphone can contact you. QR codes offer more protection for your personal information. They also give you the chance to add medical alerts or set up more than one contact number.
- Make sure to look for tags that are the right size for your pet. Larger tags on a small dog can easily get caught and pulled off, while small ones on a large dog might be difficult to read if your dog is a mover and shaker.
- Keep in mind that the information is the most important part of a tag. Try to avoid tags with designs or borders that would make your text too small to read easily.
Pet Microchipping and Veterinary Care in Gilbert, Arizona
At East Valley Animal Hospital we recommend keeping your pet’s ID tag on a soft collar that they can wear at all times. We also provide microchips as a backup form of pet ID—the procedure is incredibly fast, and it could make all the difference in reuniting you with your pet.
We know that caring for a pet has many challenges, but we never want finding veterinary care to be one of them. Our staff and veterinarians are highly trained and very knowledgeable. We love answering questions about caring for pets, and we’ll ensure that your four-legged friend always gets the very best veterinary care. If your pet is due for a checkup or if you’d like to get them microchipped, contact us today to make an appointment.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (9/27/23). Photo by Reagan Freeman on Unsplash.