I am often surprised by the large number of pets I sit for that don’t have tags- some don’t even wear collars. This is the easiest way to make sure your dog will be returned to you if he/she gets away from you. As a person who stops for every stray I see, the number that have any type of identification is shocking. Most of you are familiar with microchips and I hope your pets have them. Even that can be of no help if the chip isn’t registered. But once in a while luck is on a dog’s side.
I picked up a mixed breed dog trying to cross Franklin Rd. in Indianapolis near the intersection with I-70. If you know the area it’s BUSY. He of course had no collar. I had a vet scan him and he did have a microchip. The vet called the microchip company but the owner had never registered it. The only clue was that the chip was sold to Indianapolis Animal Care and Control. I then called IACC. They were able to match up the chip number to the person who adopted the dog. I gave them a call and the dog was happily reunited with his family. This was a lucky break. Not all microchip companies will have this type of information, and most shelters don’t have computer systems that record all this kind of information. The dog’s name was Max by the way. If I hadn’t found his family, he’d likely be living here. He was a nice dog.
Now back to collars and tags. There’s no excuse. Collars are easily and cheaply available just about anywhere. If you want a recommendation, my favorite collars are made by ruff gear. You can visit their website by clicking here.
Okay, you’ve got a collar right. No? Okay, here’s a great website that sells dog supplies I highly recommend. I have used them for years and they have great doggie hardware as well as quality food and treats. It’s called SitStay. Check it out.
Okay, tag time. Avoid the machines in the pet stores. These tags do not last and are poorly made. All of my dogs wear tags from Boomerang tags. One of my favorites is the collar tag, guaranteed for the life of your dog. It slides onto the collar- there are two types depending on whether you use a buckle collar or snap collar. Provided you purchase the correct size for your collar this tag will not fall off. They guarantee it and I can tell you that watching four dogs roughhouse wearing the tags as well as running like goons through the woods…well, they don’t fall off.
So if you haven’t already, get your dog(s) collars and tags. It’s not a big deal but it can save their lives. Many people won’t stop for a stray without a collar and tags and are much more likely to stop if they think they can return the dog home.
Example of a collar tag from Boomerang Tags