Client Education

Pet Identification Made Easy

You are right to be concerned about proper identification should your dog or cat become lost.  A study done in the United States in 1995 reported that 90% of pets with ID are returned to their owners; 90% of pets without ID do not return.  And if you think that your pet will never become lost, think again!  The same study found that roughly 30% of pet owners have lost a pet at one time.  Pet owners tend to view their pets as part of the family, and a loss of a family member is devastating.  There are two main ways of identifying your pet, and we recommend using both together.

Pet Tags

Pet tags are the simplest method of identification.  This method is relatively inexpensive, and easy to implement.  However, there are downsides.  Obviously, pet tags will only work as long as they are properly attached to your pets collar.  Also, if you pet slips out of his collar while lost, he has lost his ID.

The City of Lloydminster, and many surrounding communities, require pets to be licensed by law.  A tag registered to your pet will be issued to you, which can be placed on the collar.  This method of ID can prevent fast family reunion, as access to matching license number to a proper owner can only happen during business hours.  That is why a personalized tag, with all your contact numbers, is also a good idea.

Microchipping

Microchipping, which is electronic pet identification, is rapidly gaining popularity.  It involves the injection, using a hypodermic needle, of a small ID chip (about the size of a rice grain) under the skin of your pet's upper back.  This makes it a permanent method of identification, which will be around for the life of your pet.  Changing contact inforation is easy to do through the microchip company.

Humane societies and veterinary clinics have microchip scanners.  When a stray pet comes in, the number can be read in seconds, and the owner's information can be retrieved from a 24 hour computer information bank.  The one disadvantage of this method is that a microchip is not visible; a scanner must be used for identification.  To overcome this, most microchip manufacturers provide a tag to the pet owner, which lets the person who has found your pet know that the animal has a microchip.

Regardless of their individual strengths and weaknesses, using as many means of pet identification as possible will improve your chances of having pets returned should they become lost.  Weir Veterinary Services can microchip your pet in as little as 5 minutes!  Call (780) 875-2281 today to book an appointment or for more information.