# Pet ID Tags



## Madison's Mom (Dec 26, 2007)

Hi everyone. I've been away for awhile - vacation, home remodeling, training classes with Madison. Although I haven't posted lately, I have tried to log in every few days to see how everyone's getting along.

I have a question about ID tags and here's the background that led to my question: Some friends found a dog (a Lhasa) roaming in the park the other day. It was wearing a collar and a broken leash, but did not have any identifying information. They called Animal Control and posted signs and placed an ad in the newspaper. They called to tell me about it and I asked if they had taken the dog to be scanned for a microchip. They didn't really know what that was.

So that got me to wondering if Madison should be wearing an "external" ID tag in case she were lost and someone (like my friends) found her and didn't know to have her checked for a microchip. That would be kind of difficult because she doesn't wear a collar. I guess it could be attached to her harness somehow.

So my question: Do those of you whose babies are microchipped also have them wear an ID tag? And, if so, what information do you have on the tag? My contact information for sure, but would you include the baby's name? I wouldn't want someone to have too much information. I guess I'd just have to trust that they'd do the right thing and call me.

I'm really torn about what to do. I appreciate your input.

Oh, and about the dog they found. No one has claimed her, so she has gone to live with my secretary who is totally in love with her. My elderly friends named her Gypsy Rose and my secretary said she will probably continue to call her that. Although she was unlucky to be lost and unidentified, she is very lucky to have had such caring people find her.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

If we're traveling to strange places, I will put a collar on the dogs with a rabies tag and county tag. I know my dogs can be traced by their rabies tag with one phone call. If there is an ID tag all it says is REWARD and phone numbers. No names. If the dog has a medical condition I will put ON MEDICATION SEE VET IMMEDIATELY on the back.


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## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

I do not rely solely on a microchip. My dogs have them and they are kept up to date. However there are still many people in the world who don't know to check for one. Izzy wears a collar with a tag. I don't walk her with a collar but she has one simply to hold her identification. 

It's a simple Petsmart Tag with her name, and my cell phone number on it. I update the tag whenever it get's old or hard to read or a phone number changes. 

I also never let out of my site if we are outside of my house.

I'm also interested what others do. 

Leslie


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## gibbert (Jan 13, 2005)

These stories scare me so much! Tchelsi and Tatumn both have microchips, and both wear identification tags whenever we leave the house. Here's what we decided to put on the tag:
Pet's Name
Both Cell Numbers
Vet's Number
I think it's common to put home address, but of the many ID tags we have, none of them have space enough for the full address to be added (usually only room for an address on the BIG tags for BIG dogs - we're outta luck! LOL)
I don't know if it's common to include the vet's number, but it works well in our situation. If someone tried both cell phones and couldn't reach either of us, the next call would be to the vet, which is Cherie's place of employment - everyone there knows and loves both Ts, and would gladly help out in an emergency.
Still, with all of this in place, I fret about our babies somehow getting lost. I don't know the percentage of people that would take a dog to the vet to have it scanned for a chip. And if something happened to the ID tag ...  . Plus, I know I'm biased, but I think my T-babies are the bee's knees ... depending on the moral character of the person that found a really cute, well-trained, sweet little dog, they may not even try to find the owners.
And as for the decision of whether or not to put the pet's name on the tag ... with my dogs' names, a stranger probably wouldn't have a clue how to pronounce them anyway! LOL
Sorry I rambled on ... :brownbag:


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## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

Moxie doesn't wear a collar. he is microchipped though. But if I went to a strange country i would put his rabbies and his Canine good citizen tag on.


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## PreciousPrince (Feb 27, 2006)

QUOTE (gibbert @ Jul 15 2008, 02:38 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=605768


> ... with my dogs' names, a stranger probably wouldn't have a clue how to pronounce them anyway! LOL[/B]


 :smrofl: Haha that made me laugh Heidi!

I agree with what Leslie said - a lot of people probably don't know to check for microchips, especially older people. Of course he is microchipped, but Perri wears a breakaway collar for safety, and he wears it when he goes to my mom's while I work, and of course when he goes out places. When he's just chilling at home with me, he doesn't. I walk him with a harness but you better believe he has his collar and ID tag on him when I do. His tag has his name, address, my cell, and REWARD too. Whatever you put on the tag, please get one to at least put on her harness when she is out of the house with you.


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## Kissi's Mom (Apr 21, 2006)

QUOTE (Madison's Mom @ Jul 15 2008, 02:06 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=605752


> Hi everyone. I've been away for awhile - vacation, home remodeling, training classes with Madison. Although I haven't posted lately, I have tried to log in every few days to see how everyone's getting along.
> 
> I have a question about ID tags and here's the background that led to my question: Some friends found a dog (a Lhasa) roaming in the park the other day. It was wearing a collar and a broken leash, but did not have any identifying information. They called Animal Control and posted signs and placed an ad in the newspaper. They called to tell me about it and I asked if they had taken the dog to be scanned for a microchip. They didn't really know what that was.
> 
> ...



Kissi is microchipped but anytime she is outside the house she wears her id tags with her name, phone no, my cell no & hubbies cell no. When she is in the car her crate also has a larger id tag on it with the same info on it...adding the vets no is a good idea. I have an iMarc engraving machine and it engraves both sides of the tag so you can really put a lot of info on there if you want (even the small size tags). When we go the to bay she wears an additional tag with the site number and phone there on it. 
Linda


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## Tanner's Mom (May 27, 2005)

Tanner wears a thin little collar with his name and my cell # embroidered on it, same thing for the other 3. I got that kind of collar because of the horror stories I heard about the tags getting caught in fences. The only time the collars come off is when they get a bath. Oh, I found the collars at JB Wholesale and they were $15 each. All 4 are microchipped, but again, how would anyone know to take a dog to a vet to be scanned. A collar is pretty visible.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

I put two cell phone numbers on the tag, that's it. Nobody needs to know my dog's name unless I want to tell them. But I'm paranoid that way.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

QUOTE (Nikki's Mom @ Jul 16 2008, 12:20 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=606164


> Nobody needs to know my dog's name unless I want to tell them. But I'm paranoid that way.[/B]


That's actually a good point. I don't let my skin kids put their names or initials on the outside of their backpacks for the same reasons...


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

I only put Ollie's collar on when we're going somewhere in the car. He's got two tags--one with his name and our home phone and the other is his dog license that has ID#, our town name and state.


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## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

I have a question - I don't keep Izzy's rabies tag on her. I mean let's face it the girl weighs 4 lbs soaking wet. She's tiny. Her Id tag is almost too big for her and it's the smallest one they make. The county rabies tag is huge in comparison. When both tags are on her it's too heavy. 

Does anyone have a solution? - I wish they would offer the rabies tags in smaller sizes for smaller dogs. I always keep a copy of her vaccination records handy when we are traveling just in case.

Leslie


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

QUOTE (WoofLife @ Jul 16 2008, 12:43 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=606172


> I have a question - I don't keep Izzy's rabies tag on her. I mean let's face it the girl weighs 4 lbs soaking wet. She's tiny. Her Id tag is almost too big for her and it's the smallest one they make. The county rabies tag is huge in comparison. When both tags are on her it's too heavy.
> 
> Does anyone have a solution? - I wish they would offer the rabies tags in smaller sizes for smaller dogs. I always keep a copy of her vaccination records handy when we are traveling just in case.
> 
> Leslie[/B]


I don't put Ollie's rabies tag on him--I don't really see the need to. Times that I have had to prove he's had his rabies vaccine they want to see the paperwork and don't care about the tag anyway.


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## SillieMillie (Nov 2, 2007)

Milly is microchipped and always wears her collar with a tag that reads "I'm lost take me to Banfield", or something like it. She is part of a program there that any Banfield will take her in and knows to scan her for her identity chip. If she needs emergency medical treatment they will provide it even if I cannot be reached right away.
I keep her collar and tags on her even if she's at home. I am paranoid about her getting out somehow, when another household member is not paying close attention, or even if we were burgled and she got out, or any number of scenarios that go through my head! I live in Vegas so I cover all bets LOL.


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## llf060787 (Nov 19, 2007)

I keep both an ID tag with her name on it, the city and phone number and then her rabies tag. I would love to be able to have her rabies tag engraved on the opposite side with her name and number so that she doesn't have to wear 2 tags but here in Massachusetts the tags are pretty flimsy. Does anyone else here have a rabies tag that you can engrave on the opposite side? She hates hearing all the jiggling and when I take her collar off it takes forever to get it back on her.

I haven't had her microchipped yet, probably at her next Vet visit. My reason for not doing it so far is first because I don't want it to hurt her and second my fear that if she were lost that her chip may never get scanned. To bad they don't have a "track and retrieve" type of GPS kind of chip. That would be wonderful. Turn on a computer, punch in the microchip number and TA_DAAA fluff located. :yahoo: Ok, so I'm crazy! :wacko1: But you know what I mean...like tracking cell phone usage, they know what tower your last call was made from or when you're bars come up on the cell phone. Maybe someday. rayer:


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## phesty (May 30, 2006)

Josie wears a breakaway cat collar with an id tag at all times. Her tag only has her name on it and my phone number. She's chipped as well but I want visible id if she ever gets lost. I'm paranoid about her getting a collar caught and choking so I buy a cat collar and then file it down to the point that it releases fairly easily. I did once come home and her collar was laying in her kennel and that reinforced the need to make sure it releases easily.

Josie does not wear her registration tag or her rabies tag. They're just too big and clunky. I keep them in her file so I could easily prove her registration or rabies status if need be. Plus, I don't like it when dogs wear a bunch of tags and it sounds like jingle bells. 

Josie says: I love my neck-a-lace, it's sterling silver with a swarovski crystal, just how us princesses like it!


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## diane&ozzie (Jun 24, 2008)

Ozzie wears a collar with an id tag on it, with his name and my number on it, and his harness has another id tag, with his name, phone, and address, his nyc license, and eventually his rabies tag. I guess its different living in nyc where the cops will stop you and fine you if you don't have a license and a rabies tag. I have also thought about microchipping but am not fully sold on the whole idea. The tag that ozzie has is really small and they carried an even smaller size.


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## MissMelanie (Feb 13, 2006)

Mr Wookie and Glory Girl's tags have my cell phone number and our Vet's phone number on them and our city name.

About their rabies tags, Broward only has one size of tag and it's large. So that is not on their harness. I have their rabies tags on a collar with another ID tag with their names and our home phone number since our Vet's number is on the rabies tag. I keep these collars on my dog bag that I take out with us.

Palm Beach county however, does have two sizes of rabies tags, small and large. I hope the Broward catches up with them in this area soon.

enJOY!
Melanie


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## 5maltsmom (Aug 12, 2007)

Before we went on vacation, since we were having other people take care of our dogs, I wanted to make sure they all had tags on in case they happened to get away from the person watching them. The day we left, I went to work for most of the day, but my husband had the day off, so when he asked if there was something he and our daughter could do before we left, I told him he could go to Walmart and make some doggie tags. Later I talked to him, and he said it took them 45 minutes to make 6 tags. I thought this was a little odd, but thought, well, okay, better you than me.  Anyway later when I looked at the tags, he had written the dogs names that we call them (not their registered names, thank goodness) plus our last name, which has 10 letters. Then he had written our street address, no city, state, or zip, and our home phone. I asked him how anyone would know what city our street address was in, and he said, "well, how many streets by this name are in MO?" I said, "a lot!!!!" Then he said, "well I don't think little dogs with short legs are going to be able to get into the next city with a street by that name." I gave up, and told him :ThankYou: . Sometimes I wonder how he became an excellent engineer. :smrofl:


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## Malteze (Mar 31, 2005)

QUOTE (gibbert @ Jul 15 2008, 03:38 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=605768


> These stories scare me so much! Tchelsi and Tatumn both have microchips, and both wear identification tags whenever we leave the house. Here's what we decided to put on the tag:
> Pet's Name
> Both Cell Numbers
> Vet's Number
> ...


If Buddy was lost it would be most likly that he was stolen, and the last thing I want to do is give a thief my home address. People have and will call your home to say they have you dog, and if that is the case agree to meet them at a public place, but the last thing you want to do is let them know where you live, there is a good chance you could go out for a night out and come home to find a empty house.

Maltz


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## wolfieinthehouse (Dec 14, 2007)

Wolfie has a microchip but I feel the need for him to wear a collar and ID tag 24hours a day too.

It has


our street address (if someone comes across him they can bring him home and hand him over)
our city,state (in case we are on a trip in the car and he gets lost)
our home phone number 
my cell number (again, if we are traveling)

I don't have his name on it. My daughter insists that it be top secret and besides, it leaves more space for other info.


Wolife has a fairly large, bone shaped ID he inherited from his late friend Shep.

Before that he had a smaller heart shaped one.

I prefer the larger one since it is easier for someone to read.


I also keep the rabies tag on the collar so Wolfie jingles when he walks and I know where he is.


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