Increase Your Pets Chance of Coming Home
Even the most vigilant person has to look away for a moment and that can be when your pet sees his chance to take off
exploring. If your pet does get out, this will help him get home.
- License your pet. This works a little different in each community, but basically you are registering your pet
with your local animal control agency (whether it is city or county run). If your pet gets picked up by animal control, they can
search their records and find you. If you aren't sure who handles animal control in your area, ask your vet.
Important: some communities issue new license numbers every year and purge the records from the previous year. Make sure you update
your pet's license when it expires. Also remember to update your address and phone number if you move!
- Give them a name tag. Sometimes a kind person will find your pet.
If your pet has your phone number on their tag, the person can call you and save your
pet - and you - a trip to the shelter. If you have more than one phone number, include each one.
Every phone number is an extra chance your pet won't have to go to a shelter.
An alternate to this is a collar with your phone number written directly on it. You can even order
collars that are embroidered with your phone number! Again, remember to keep this information up-to-date if you move or change your phone number.
- Have them microchipped. It sounds vaguely "big brother-ish" but microchipping may be your pet’s last resort.
If his tags fall off and then he slips out of his collar, how will he get home? A microchip is small, like a grain of rice,
and designed to stay put, usually between the shoulder blades. Most vets and shelters have scanners so they can scan your
pet, retrieve your information and send your pet home to you.
The importance of microchips was reinforced this week when a family lost their dog and she ended up at the vet’s. Turns
out she had been hit by a car and no one could find any of her IDs. If she had not been microchipped, she may not have
gotten the treatment she needed. Luckily, she is now recovering at home and will be just fine.
