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Keep dogs properly identified
Published October 12, 2009
Lost dog flyers are heartbreaking, since someone loves that dog and wants it back again. As rescuers of Pomeranians, we regularly take in dogs that are lost, and it is seldom that we are able to find the owner. There are ways to give your dog a good chance of getting home again if he becomes lost: collar and tags, microchip, and preparation.
COLLAR: Your dog should always wear a collar with tags, period. Just because he is kept inside your home or a safely fenced yard does not mean he will not get out when someone opens the door or gate and doesn’t notice the dog. If the collar is properly fitted, it is very unlikely to be dangerous or to cause matting on a heavy-coated dog. You should be able to get two fingers comfortably between the collar and the dog’s skin, but no more. (For a coated dog, brush and comb the dog and fit the collar next to the skin.)
TAGS: One tag should have your information. For a small dog, there are companies that make small plastic tags with your address on one side (so a neighbor will bring the dog right back) and two phone numbers on the other (in case you are at work or out hunting for the dog when someone calls your home phone). The rabies tag from your vet is also great, but they are not there to look it up at night and on weekends. The city tag (if you are in a city tag area) has the same problem, but at least if the dog is brought into the shelter with a tag on, they will try to contact you. Harris County animal control says that of dogs lost wearing tags, 90 percent get back to their owners. Of those lost without tags, only 25 percent get home again.
MICROCHIP: Your veterinarian can implant a microchip that will remain in your dog even if his collar and tags are lost. Any vet or shelter can scan the dog, read the chip number, and call the national registry to locate you. The microchip tag will allow anyone to call the registry without the dog being scanned. But be sure to report any change of address. We have had more than one dog in rescue that had been microchipped, but the owners moved and did not give the new address to the microchip registry.
PREVENTION: Do not leave your dog loose outside; even well-trained dogs have been known to leave home given the right motivation. Take your dog for a walk regularly anywhere that you can reach in 10 minutes (more for an active dog). Then if he gets out, he might be able to find his way home. Have a good color photo of your dog, and if he is lost, print flyers and take them all around your neighborhood and to all shelters, pet stores, and vet clinics in the area. Offer a reward.
Barbara McClatchey of Second Chance Poms is a Lake Jackson resident.
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