Run Free Fergus....

I just got done shipping a special Heart Keychain to a woman who asked for it to be inscribed with "Fergus", "Run Free Sweet Boy", "You are Loved", "12-4-2013".

I was taken by the inscription and saddened by the loss. The next day I received an email from the woman who ordered it, with the following story...


"Fergus was a terrified basset hound who came to our rescue last weekend. He got away from his foster almost immediately, and was on the run for 3 days. I got a text message in the middle of the night from someone who saw "a dog" get hit and was in the road... I rushed over around 6am and found Fergus. That was the first time I had even seen him in person and he had already passed.

I adopted him so that he could have a last name before crossing the Rainbow Bridge, and I am giving his ashes and the keychain to one of our transport drivers who spent a night with him on his trip to Minnesota... she is absolutely devastated at Fergus's passing and I know she will love the keychain. I looked at a lot of different websites, and you had just what I was looking for!"

I'm just so touched by this story of caring and compassion. I can't even put words to it. I don't know if Fergus had any identification on his collar when he ran off, but it made me think of the importance of having a tag on newly adopted and fostered dogs BEFORE they leave an agency. 

PLEASE, PLEASE put identification on your dog as soon as they become yours :-)! 

Have You Checked Your Dog's ID Tags Lately?

Busy, busy, busy...aren't we all these days, especially as the holidays approach. Life can get pretty hectic and it's easy to forget about the little things, the ones you take for granted.
When it comes to our pups, we remember to buy dog food, order and apply heart worm preventative , flea and tick preventative, joint supplements, clip nails, etc., etc. The list goes on and on.
I'm going to add one more item to the to do list, and that's double check your dog's identification information on his or her pet tag. All that jingling is to no avail if your dog has an unreadable tag. The chances of that tag being unreadable, even after a short period of wear, increase greatly if your dog is active and your tag is made out of aluminum, brass, nickel, plastic, copper, or pewter.
Active dogs give all pet tags a run for the money. There isn't another application out there that could destroy a dog id tag faster than an active dog. Even a train running over a tag won't harm an id tag the same way a dog does!
Now, I can hear some of you thinking, well, my dog is microchipped. That is excellent and important insurance if your dog is lost but not as considerate to the finder as a readable id tag. Dialing a phone number that someone answers is the easiest way for a finder to get your dog returned to you with a minimal amount of energy expended. As a responsible dog owner, you owe it to your dog and a potential good samaritan to make it as easy as possible for them to read a tag and dial a phone number.
So, don't forget to check your tags and replace them asap when they need it. Lost dogs don't tell us they're going to get lost before they disappear!

www.silverpawtags.com

Casting A Silver Paw Pet Tag: The Lost Wax Foundry Process In Maine

We cast our very own ID tags at this foundry here in western Maine. As you can see from the video, it is a very labor intensive process involving many steps. We're so proud to be keeping our operations here in the US. This foundry supports some 20 employees who all take their jobs very seriously and do a detail oriented, quality job.

Every one of our tags is handled over and over again at the casting facility and inspected several times before they are brought to the Silver Paw shop for finishing and engraving. There are many reject castings.

We extend a sincere thanks to New England Castings for allowing us in to shoot the footage for this video. The casting environment is one fraught with hazards, noise, and heavy equipment. We were privileged to be allowed into the normal workings of a foundry, whose workplace we surely interrupted...

www.silverpawtags.com

Pet ID Tags: Made in Maine Not China!

Buy local, buy USA... it has a familiar ring these days! When buying local means buying higher price, those of us living paycheck to paycheck just don't go there for obvious reasons.

However, buying local can sometimes mean buying smart, especially when you consider things like customer service, quality of product, and guarantees. Those of us purchasing for these values, have the added feel good bonus of knowing we supported a fellow American, perhaps even a neighbor!

It's delightful and refreshing to be able to call a business and speak with its owner or an employee who actually makes the product. The chances of your order getting shipped quickly and customized to your specifications is usually greater if the product is produced here in this country.

I receive email offers from Chinese companies every week. They want to produce my pet id tags much more cheaply than I do. US stamping companies that I spoke to when developing my pet tags urged me to get them made in China at a fraction of the cost. A major stainless steel pet id tag competitor of ours, who has a lion's share of the US market, manufactures their tags in China. The average factory wage in China is under $1.40 per hour at 12 hours a day, 6 days a week.

Consumers who recognize the benefits of buying products made here in the US are key. Smaller companies, like my pet id tag business, have something to prove, pulling themselves up by the bootstraps, carefully monitoring competition, and striving for excellence in all aspects of their product. Our products float to the top because of you, the consumer. Buying products that last, support US jobs, and respect our health and environment, are sustaining for us all.

So, the next time you are faced with the decision to buy cheaper from China or buy more expensive from the US, stop and think about the pros and cons. Who and what practices do you want to support with your dollar? What are your expectations for the durability of a product? What kind of service and warranty will there be after the sale?

Visit us! www.silverpawtags.com

Pet ID Tags and Vacations: The Two Go Together!

Going on vacation with your dog?Lucky you and lucky them! You've done all the prep work…You've researched dog friendly hotels, inns, rentals, cities, camping areas, and activities. You've packed all the eats and treats, collars and leashes, bowls and biscuits, balls and frisbies, poop bags and my god what else! We try to be prepared to be prepared, but sometimes fall short on remembering to include  one of most important must have items a pooch on vacation should not be caught without, and that's a pet id tag!

Now you may say, well of course, my dog always wears his or her id tag! When was the last time you looked to see if the tag was readable? You may also say, my dog never leaves my side, or my dog's always on a leash. While this may be true, bringing your dog to a strange new environment and sharing unusual activities with them, opens up a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to dog behavior.       

Dogs do not think like human beings. Their instincts are different than ours. Their senses are much more powerful, especially hearing and smell. They follow their noses and they often react with fear when stressed and put in unfamiliar circumstances. When the flight response kicks in, they may leave before you even know it. If this happens in unfamiliar territory or even in familiar places, the results can be pretty scary! Vacations around holidays can lead to particular consequence. Many dogs disappear during Fourth of July and New Year's Eve events.

The moral of this story… Don't leave home without a pet id tag for your dog, no matter what! Make sure the id tag is in good shape, readable, and securely fastened to the collar ring.  If your dog is especially active and adventurous, you may even want to have an extra along, just in case. Split ring collar attachments often pull open when a dog gets caught or brushes up against a branch, etc. You'd be wise to fasten your id tag with a stainless steel s-hook in this case.

So, go ahead and enjoy your vacation with your best friend, but do it sensibly. Investing in a good quality pet id tag for your dog is never wasted money wether you are on vacation or not!

Checkout www.silverpawtags.com to make an investment in your dog's safety today.

When Dogs Disappear...

Ever notice how long it takes for a dog to disappear? If you can blink your eye, you've answered the question. I can't imagine a time more scary than when you realize your dog is gone, especially when you are away from home. What the heck...they were here a minute ago. Where could they have gone?.... and the search begins.

If there's ever a time to remain calm and clear headed, it's when you realize your precious beasts are missing. Your best strategy is to think like your dog, but more often than not, pure panic sets in, boggling the best of intentions. I learned this the hard way.

 One particular snowy, January day, I was visiting a friend and putting my horse away after a trail ride we'd taken. I called to my cohorts, Ruby and Jet, we needed to get home. I called again. No dogs.  Snow had been sliding off the indoor arena roof and I knew Ruby wasn't fond of the sound. No one had seen them and it was getting dark with two feet of snow on the ground in the rural Maine woods.
I panicked, borrowed some snowshoes, and took off about a half hour before dark. I was sure I could keep my bearings and I knew they always went down to a stream behind the property, so that's where I headed.

It wasn't long before I realized I was in trouble. Bushwacking through clusters of brush and trees with no trail, and stumbling up and down little gullies and ravines, it became impossible to see or hear anything. It was cold, there was snow falling, and I was soaked to the bone. My snowshoes were falling off left and right and I kept sinking into very deep snow, having to pull myself out crawling around to locate the shoes. There were no lights and the sounds from cars were very far away and coming from several directions. Every time I headed one way, I'd hear a sound from the opposite direction.

I knew I was royally in trouble. I knew I had to keep moving to stay warm. I hoped there were people assembling to look for me and soon. My dogs were lost and now so was I. I kept moving. Somehow, I managed to find a high piece of ground where I climbed to look for a lit area. I followed a glow, I guess, and came upon a vacant house with a long driveway that eventually led to a road which turned out to be several miles from my friend's house. I knocked on the first door I came to and some nice folks drove me back to my friend's house, where everyone, including my husband was organizing a search party, complete with snowmobiles and a posse of nieghbors.

He informed me that the dogs had been home resting comfortably on the couch when he came home from work! There was a message on the phone. They had been picked up on the road by people coming home from work, jumping happily into their car. Their ID tags had phone numbers on but no one had been at home to answer the call. They were out searching for me! Somehow these good samaritans had contacted the town hall who was able to give them an address for Ruby and Jet's delivery.

Ruby and Jet's id tags had done their job, and I thank god they weren't hurt or run over. I, on the other hand, felt like I'd been through World War lll. I was definitely a little shell shocked and utterly exhausted. My life had flashed before me a tad over the last three hours.

Several days later, when my sense of humor returned, I pondered the idea of adding the slogan "You may get lost... but your pet never will!" to my Silver Paw tag line.

What's your story? I'd love know that I'm not the only crazy person out there willing to risk her life for her dogs...

www.silverpawtags.com

Suggested Pet ID Tag Information

I'm frequently asked, "What information should I put on my pet id tag?". My answer is phone numbers, phone numbers, and phone numbers, although there are variations depending on your lifestyle. The guiding question would be, " What pet id tag information makes it easiest and fastest for a stranger to return your dog?" Think about what pet id tag information would help YOU to return a strange dog.

Phone numbers are the most important.  I recommend putting as many phone numbers as you can on a pet id tag. Cell phones and landlines are both important. Where can someone reach you at all times? Phone numbers are faster than anything else when it comes to getting your dog back.

Owner names are a helpful back up in case you can't be reached by phone and they give a starting place for an address look up. Neighbors or friends might steer a stranger to your home when given your name.

If you travel, street addresses and town/state information may be necessary.

Email addresses might work as a phone number backup, but they take up more than 1 line on a pet id tag.

Space is limited on a pet id tag. You want to abbreviate as much as possible and keep everything readable.

If your dog has special conditions such as blindness or deafness, you will want to include that on the pet id tag.

There is no need to include zip codes since no one will be mailing your dog back to you. You don't need to include your dog's name, although 95 % of people do. Microchip numbers are often too long to fit and useless to the average person. They are designed to be scanned by a veterinarian or shelter when an animal is found with no identifying pet id tag information or collar.

Often times I hear, " My dog is chipped, I don't need a tag!" My response is " You don't need one if you don't mind missing your dog for a few days..." Is it fair to expect a perfect stranger to take the time to deliver your dog to an open clinic and wait for a response? The longer your dog is gone, the greater the chance that some harm will come to them.

I once had a customer tell me about their "good samaritan" story. While on vacation, they found a lost dog and were attempting to find out who it belonged to by stopping at a neighborhood house. They left the dog in the car with the windows up while they knocked on a door. They came back to the car to find they were locked out by the dog who had stepped on the lock button inside. They now had to call a locksmith to let them back in their car!

Please put pet id tags on your dogs and include plenty of phone numbers first and foremost!

Check out ours at www.silverpawtags.com