Tatoos, Microchips, and ID Tags Keep Dogs Safe
Tagging Can Reunite Lost Dogs and Cats with their Owners
Mar 25, 2009
Red Scooter Dog, www.RedScooterDog.com, a New York based web hosting and marketing consultancy firm is helping to raise awareness of the importance of tagging pets. "It really is the most important thing that you can do for your pets," says Mark Lynn, managing director of Red Scooter Dog. “Our logo is a cross with a paw print because we see our primary social responsibility as a Red Cross for Dogs"
Red Scooter Dog donates a portion of its annual profits to charities involved in the rescue and housing of dogs that have been abandoned at pet shelters which euthanize dogs. These dog rescue charities move the healthiest dogs to no-kill shelters to be housed until an adoptee is located. These charities provide a range of ID solutions for new pet owners.
"Collars and identification (ID) tags should include the pet's name, owner's name and address, telephone numbers (day and evening), medical problem requiring medication, veterinarian's name and number, current rabies vaccination information, and reward offer should pet become lost," says Lynn.
Microchips for Dogs and Cats
While collars and ID tags are essential, Lynn recommends microchips and tatoos because collars and ID tags can fall off and get lost. Microchipping involves implanting a tiny capsule under the pet's skin, usually between the shoulder blades. Microchips can be used on dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, and other companion pets. The tiny chip is about the size of a grain of rice.
The owner then sends the information to a registering agency along with current contact and alternate contact information in the event the pet becomes lost. When a pet is found, any agency with a scanner, including many animal care and control agencies, veterinary clinics, and research labs, can quickly identify a code that links the animal to its owner through a national database.
Tattoos for Pets
Tattooing is a permanent ID that involves marking a code on the skin of the pet. A tattoo is placed in the pet's ear, abdomen, or on the inside of the pet's thigh. The finder of the lost pet calls a national database that uses the code to obtain the owner's current address and phone number. Each registry has its own coding system. "This is an invaluable form of identification should a pet be stolen for research, since laboratories will instantly know the animal is not abandoned but a beloved pet," says Lynn.
To look for a tattoo on the abdomen or thigh, lay the dog on her side. One person may stroke and calm the dog while the other gently lifts the dog's hind leg to examine the belly and thigh.
"I'm pleased that I can use my business to protect pets," says Lynn. His interactive marketing firm, Red Scooter Dog, which is the nickname of his dog Tex, offers custom website development, web hosting, and interactive marketing strategies for small and medium sized businesses throughout the USA and internationally.
A Caution About Tags, Microchips, and Tatoos
All information should be kept up to date. If you move or change phone numbers, make sure the data on your pets' ID tag is current. Some tatoos fade over the years; so make sure they are visible. Microchips can move. At your pets next visit to the vet, make sure the microchip is in the right place.
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