Help Get Your Lost Pet Home Faster

Even the most vigilant person has to look away for a moment and that is when your pet will see their chance to take off exploring. If your cat or dog does get lost, the following three precautions will help them get home faster.

License your pet.

This works a little different in each community, but basically you are registering your pet with your local animal control agency (whether it is city or county run). If your pet gets picked up by animal control, they can search their records and find you. If you aren’t sure who handles animal control in your area, you can search our licensing database or ask your vet.

Important! Some communities issue new license numbers every year and purge the records from the previous year. Make sure you update your pet’s license when it expires. Also remember to update your address and phone number if you move!

Give your cat or dog a name tag.

Sometimes a kind person will find your pet. If your pet has your phone number on their tag, the person can call you and save your pet - and you - a trip to the shelter. If you have more than one phone number, include each one. Every phone number is an extra chance your pet won’t have to go to a shelter. An alternate to this is a collar with your phone number written directly on it. You can even order collars that are embroidered with your phone number! Again, remember to keep this information up-to-date if you move or change your phone number.

Take good photos of your pet.

In case of an emergency, having a photo of your pet will help you to verify identity as well as to create posters and post your pet’s photo to sites like PET911.com. Try to get down on your pet’s level to snap a shot of its face. Take photos of any distinguishing features as well.

Have your pet microchipped or tatooed.

It sounds vaguely “big brother-ish” but microchipping may be your pet’s last resort. If their tags fall off and then they slips out of their collar, how will they get home? A microchip is small, like a grain of rice, and designed to stay put, usually between the shoulder blades. Most vets and shelters have scanners so they can scan your pet, retrieve your information and send your pet home to you.

The importance of microchips is reinforced weekly. One story of the many we hear is as follows: a family lost their dog and she ended up at the vet’s office. Turns out, she had been hit by a car and no one could find any of her IDs. If she had not been microchipped, she may not have gotten the treatment she needed. Luckily, she is now recovering well at her own home.

Tatoo IDs are similar only they are located externally on the dog. Most vets and animal shelters also look for tatoo IDs on pets as well as microchips. This unique number will call up your information and your pet will be home much faster.

Be sure to always update your contact information on your pet’s license, your pet’s tag, and with your pet’s microchip or tatoo company.