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!

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