If you have experienced a situation when your beloved pet was away without your knowledge even for a short time, you would know the importance of a pet ID tag. Having an ID tag in your pet’s neck with all the necessary information on it means getting her/him back securely if s/he gets lost at an unfortunate moment. However, it’s surprising and sad that as many as 67% of pet parents don’t equip their pets with ID tags, according to a research published in Preventative Veterinary Medicine. If you are among them, remember that you significantly increase the RTO (Return-to-Owner) rate in the event of losing your pet.
According to experts at TokenPet, a company committed to pet care, most communities have RTO rate hovering between 10% and 30% in case of dogs; but personalized identification tags containing the contact details of the dog parent can ensure a quick reunion of a lost dog with her/his family.
Another important thing to remember is that even if your dog is equipped with a microchip, that doesn’t mean that s/he doesn’t need an identification tag. Chips have to be scanned which only vets and shelters can do. But collar ID tags can be read even by a common man and so, is the quickest way for whoever finds your dog to reach you.
TokenPet experts advice that your pet’s ID tag should contain your pet’s name and your contact number at least. Including your phone number on the tag is the best way because the person who finds your lost pet can contact you immediately regardless of wherever you are.
Plus if the space on the tag allows you can also include your address; but including the address is often associated to a risk of the information going to a wrong person.
The experts recommend a microchip and also recommend a second tag which should contain the company name and phone number of the microchip.
It’s also advisable to equip your pet with her/his rabies vaccination proof on the tag so that whoever finds her/him can know that s/he is up-to-date with the vaccination. Some states in the USA like Massachusetts make it compulsory by law that pets should wear their proof of rabies shots all the time. This information is also a way to identify your pet and reach you for whoever that finds your lost pet.
Every time when your pet is revaccinated, you should attach a new ID tag to her/his collar. The tag should also be updated without fail whenever you move or your phone number is changed.
Your pet’s tags should also be checked for legibility every couple of months. The engraving on most tags is not very deep, so the information can easily get worn off. Also if your dog often bathes in the sea with you, the tag may get tarnished. In other events too, they may get scratched over time, especially if they are getting rubbed against another tag on your pet’s collar. Also, it’s advisable to tie the tags to the collar with a distance between them, so that they won’t rub against each other and won’t be faded too quickly. You should check regularly if the tags are well legible and should change them if they are not.
Pet shelter experts and veterinarians also recommend to maintain a spare set of tags or two in your home. Dogs and cats may lose tags more frequently than you can imagine.
There is a tremendous variety in pet ID tags and you should choose the one that suits your pet and your lifestyle.
Portable Tags for Traveling Pets: If your pet travels with you often, you can consider portable tags. These are waterproof metal barrels or tubes that can be screwed open and shut. You can insert a piece of paper with your destination or hotel contact information on it in the barrel or tube and then keep changing the paper whenever you change your destination and/or hotel.
Dog Tag Silencer: If you don’t like the metallic sound of your dog’s tag, you can consider a dog tag silencer, particularly if you have a baby sleeping. These are soft pouches that fit snugly around the tags, and muffle the jangling sound of metal when the pet runs around the house. You can also choose plastic tags which are sturdy and don’t make much of noise.
Tags with a Lifetime Guarantee: If you have no plans of moving in the near future, you can consider tags with a lifetime guarantee. They are sturdy, normally made of stainless steel and the company replaces them for free in case they become illegible.
Secure Collar Tags: Hanging tags carry a risk of falling off and wearing too. In that case, you may consider a tag that can be secured to the collar. It is also less prone to get caught into other things.
Try to Find a Distinct Tag: If your dog or cat has a distinct tag, it makes her/him stand out and one can identify her/him easily that it’s your dog or cat, by reading the description you may give in an ad, of the distinct tag. Choose unique colors of the tag and engraving on it. You can also choose a unique shape of the tag.
TokenPet is a company dedicated to help pet parents to raise and care for their pets. They are working hard to build a community of likeminded pet parents and invite you to join this community.
TokenPet’s mission is to be the world’s #1 trusted partner throughout every pet owner’s ownership journey.
Their unique QR coded pet identification tags and online platform drastically help lower the alarming number of lost dogs, cats, and all pets in general while providing other helpful online services like pet education, pet adoption, news & articles, pet product and food reviews, local event happenings, classifieds for buying and selling gently used items as well as easy access to geo-located and mapped services like veterinarian providers, dog walkers, breeders, daycare/boarding, and so much more.
Visit their Facebook and Twitter pages too.
