ID Tags for Pets: Ensure their Safe Return

We love our pets. Pets  offer companionship, emotional support and unconditional love. Caring for a pet also give us a sense of purpose, responsibility, and can even have a positive effect on our physical health. Our pets make us laugh, and bring joy to our lives. They help reduce our stress and anxiety, and provide us with a sense of security and protection. Our pets make us feel like we belong and that we are needed, and this can be very comforting. This is why we develop such strong emotional bonds with our pets and consider them as part of our families.

But a heart-wrenching reality of being a pet owner is that every one of us has either experienced the loss of a beloved pet or knows someone who has. Imagine the unbearable pain of not being able to find your furry best friend. Tragically, according to American Humane, out of the nearly 10 million lost pets in the U.S. alone every year, a mere 15 percent of dogs and a staggering 2 percent of cats without identification tags or microchips are ever reunited with their loving owners. Don’t let your pet become a statistic, act now to help ensure their safe return if they ever become lost.

It is important to have identification tags on house pets for several reasons:

• Safety: Identification tags can help ensure that lost or stray pets are returned to their rightful owners. This can be especially important for pets that may wander away from home or become separated during a natural disaster or other emergency.

• Legal compliance: Many municipalities require that pets have identification tags in order to be in compliance with local laws and regulations.

• Medical information: An identification tag can include important information such as the pet’s name, owner’s contact information, and any medical conditions or medication that the pet is currently taking.

• Peace of mind: Knowing that your pet has identification can provide peace of mind for pet owners, as it can help ensure that their pet is returned to them if it becomes lost or separated.

•Microchipping: Identification tags can be used in conjunction with microchipping, a small device that is inserted under the pet’s skin and contains the pet’s identification information, which can help increase the chances of a lost pet being reunited with its owner.

Here are several ways to get identification tags for your dog, cat or other house pet in the event it ever inadvertently finds it’s way outside of the home:

•  Purchase tags from pet stores: Many pet stores sell identification tags that can be engraved with your pet’s name and your contact information.

•  Order tags online: You can also order identification tags online from various websites that specialize in pet ID tags.

•  Make your own tags: Some pet owners choose to make their own identification tags using materials such as metal or plastic.

•  Microchipping: Microchipping is a small device that is inserted under the pet’s skin and contains the pet’s identification information. It’s a permanent method of identification that can be read by a special scanner and is a good complement to the identification tags.

•  Pet registration: Some municipalities require that pets be registered with the city or town, and may provide identification tags as part of the registration process.

•  Ask your vet: Many veterinarian clinics offer microchipping services and might also have identification tags available for purchase.

It’s important to note that identification tags should be kept up to date with your current contact information to increase the chances of your pet being reunited with you if it becomes lost.

There are several places where you might be get free pet ID tags in your area:

• Animal shelters: Many animal shelters offer free or low-cost identification tags to pets that are adopted from their facility.

• Veterinarian clinics: Some veterinarian clinics offer free identification tags to their patients.

• Pet supply stores: Some pet supply stores may offer free identification tags as a promotion or with the purchase of certain products.

• Pet organizations: Some pet-related organizations may provide free identification tags to pet owners in the community. FidoAlert and TabbyAlert is one free nationwide pet alert network that connects you to thousands of local pet finders in your area to help bring your lost dog or cat. After you register, if your pet ever gets lost they will text your pet’s photo in a digital flier to every member of the network within a few miles of your where your pet was lost. When your pet is found, they will text all your emergency contacts so you can be reunited as soon as possible. And it’s Free!

• Pet events: Sometimes at pet events, such as adoption fairs, free identification tags may be given away.

It’s always best to check with your local animal shelters, vet clinics, pet supply stores, and pet organizations to see if they offer free ID tags or low-cost microchipping services. It’s also good to check with your municipality if they have any pet registration program that includes an ID tag.

It’s important to note that while these options may offer free or low-cost identification tags, they may require that you register your pet or meet certain qualifications.

Our pets always give us their unconditional love and acceptance, regardless of their mood or circumstances. Be proactive and ensure the safe return of your beloved pet. Millions of pets are lost every year due to various reasons, and only a small percentage of those are reunited with their owners. Pet identification tags and microchips, as well as registering lost pets with local animal shelters, can greatly increase the chances of a lost pet being reunited with its owner. Don’t take any chances with your furry friend’s safety, take action now and get identification tags and microchips for your pet today, and feel good knowing that you have done everything in your power to protect them.