Originally Posted by addevo  I volunteered at my local animal shelter for several years, and saw alot of stray animals come in. There are several factors to consider when deciding what to put on your dog's collar.
First, in most jurisdictions, it is required that pet owners keep their dogs vaccinated for rabies. If your dog bites someone, is bitten or attacked by another dog, or is off leash, lost or somehow gets picked up by animal control, the first thing everyone wants to know is whether they are vaccinated. Rabies tags are a way to help prove that. The tag sometimes contains a date, but more importantly, has a serial number and a phone number for the vet who issued it so that it's easy to check their health records. For alot of animals, it is the ONLY thing owners put on their collars, and so is invaluable in tracking down the owner of a stray. It also gives good Samaritans a comfort level that it is ok to handle your animal, that someone loves him enough to take care of him, and that they will be more likely to try to find his owner.
Next, every animal, even ones who NEVER go outside, should wear a tag with their address, including city and state, and phone number, including area code. Also, put both home and cell phone numbers on the tag.
I won't bore you with the crazy things that can and do happen, but here are a few:
1) Owner took their dog to some friends' vacation home over July 4th. Their dog got spooked by fireworks and dashed across the field, and hid in a barn where the barn's owner found her several hours later. If no tag, or only name and home phone number, it would have taken much longer time to reunite them.
2) People leave their pets with friends or relatives while they are out of town. The friend's kids, not accustomed to having a dog around, leave the gate open and the dog wanders off into an unfamiliar neighborhood.
3) A typically curious indoor/outdoor cat went into a delivery truck to inspect it's contents, the delivery guys didn't see her until she jumped out again, at their next delivery address, which was over 30 miles away.
In the city where I live requires all dogs and cats to be licensed, and that they must wear their license. Failure to do so can result in a fine.
Again, for those who say their dog is never out of their sight, that may be true, but why take a chance when the difference between losing your beloved baby and getting them back immediately is an investment of a few minutes and a very low cost? Tags are available on the internet for only a few bucks, often with free shipping.
And the final thing, is MICROCHIP. Collars can come off, people can steal your dog, but a microchip is proof positive. And make sure to keep your current address and phone numbers up to date with the company that issues the chip. I can't count the number of strays who were microchipped, but the contact information was out of date and therefore useless. |