Finding the Right ID Tag

A recent story out of New Braunfels, Texas once again highlights the importance of having proper, easy to read and updated dog tags on your pet. A family who lost their dog eight years ago was reunited with their pet after a local citizen found the lost dog and brought it to the local SPCA. The dog was checked for a microchip, which it had, and the family was reunited with the dog that same day. Microchips are an absolute must have, as they helped reunite family and dog in this instance, but if the dog had been wearing a proper collar and ID tag, it wouldn’t have taken eight long years for this reunion to occur.

Many dog owners choose to wait to get their dogs proper ID for a number of reasons. Some people saw that they want to get their dogs the perfect ID tag and they haven’t found one that’s just right yet, or they say that they are likely moving soon and there is no point getting one that has the wrong address on it. While this reasoning may seem logical and sound on the surface, in reality, you are endangering your dog’s life and risking losing him or her forever. Even the most well behaved dog can act impulsively and erratically under the right, or wrong, stimulus. You never know when Fido is going to pull away from you during a walk, so why take a chance? Engraved ID tags are incredibly inexpensive and do a great job of helping people figure out which dog belongs to which person. Many areas still have dog catches that go out and pick up strays. If your puppy has the right ID on them, you’ll have your pet returned to you in no time flat.

As well as having up to date, easy to read ID tags on, your pet should also have a collar that fits them properly. After all, the ID tag doesn’t do a lot of good if it is lying on the ground with the collar because your dog pulled it off. We have to remember that our pets gain and lose weight just like we do and just because the collar they were wearing fit them last year doesn’t mean it fits them perfectly now. Take a moment to check to see how your dog’s collar fits them and make a change if you need to.