Pet Tags
A tag on your pet signifies ownership
According to animal control authorities, pet tags should contain sufficient information to allow anyone who found your dog or cat to get in touch with you. At minimum, they should contain your dog or cat's license number, which is assigned when you register your pet. Pet ID tags also ought to list the following information:
- The dog or cat's name (if desired)
- Your name
- Your address and/or telephone number
- Any reward you might be willing to offer for the pet's safe return
- Information on the animal's medical history, including any known pet health problems
Some pet stores and breeders may also offer free pet tags when you purchase a new pet.
Ways to Make Pet Tags More Convenient and Effective
In the age of advanced communications, you should also include any e-mail, cell phone or alternate contact information on your pet ID tags as well. As many pet owners complain about the jingling sound engraved pet tags make when the animal moves, you can also get a collar-mounted tag which won't move once it's put in place. Plastic pet tags are a second noise-reducing alternative, as they won't make the same clamor as metal or brass pet tags.
Some animal control authorities recommend leaving the cat or dog's name off the pet tags, since knowing the pet's name can resolve disputes about ownership in certain circumstances. For example, if your dog ran away and a stray matching its description was found but someone else claimed ownership of the dog, you could prove your ownership by calling the dog's name and having it respond to you.
Alternatives to Conventional Pet ID Tags
Most places that sell pet identification products let you order personalized pet tags, which you can use not only to be a little more creative than the standard metal or plastic pet tags allow, but also prove ownership of your animal in case of a dispute down the road. When you have custom pet tags on your dog or cat, you can prove that they were made just for you with receipts from the store where you had them made.
You can also elect to have your dog or cat outfitted with a microchip implant, which can be scanned by animal control authorities to retrieve the animal's registration information. Pet tattoos are also used to record the animal's license number right on its body, which can then be compared against the registered information to verify ownership.
