Your Pet’s Wallet
by Lisa Deanne Young – The Rescue Train

he scariest news a pet owner can hear is that their dog or cat is lost. Some lost pets do make it back home and having an ID tag on your dog or cat is the best way to increase your chances of that happening. Many of us think that our pet will never get out but the reality is that accidents do happen and in Southern California we are no strangers to earthquakes and wild fires. If your pet is not wearing an ID tag 24/7 they are at risk.

Nowadays there are noiseless plastic tags, an engraved plate that adheres to the collar rather than dangle, and even personalized collars with your contact number stitched right onto the fabric. Your tag should include pet’s name, address and at least two phone numbers. The word “REWARD” might give anyone who finds your pet more of an incentive to return them to you or if your animal requires medication you might want to include “I NEED MEDS”.

Microchips are also an excellent way to keep track of your pet; however, the animal needs to be taken to a shelter or vet’s office where there is a scanner. Make it easy for any Good Samaritan who might stop to help your animal by having an ID tag with all your current information, and have your pet chipped, too, in case a collar should fall off.

What’s in your pet’s wallet?

Lisa Deanne Young is The Executive Director of The Rescue Train (www.therescuetrain.org), a Los Angeles based, 501(c)3, nonprofit, no kill dog and cat rescue.

For more information, see The Rescue Train website. www.therescuetrain.org