What to Know About Personalized Pet ID Tags and Microchips

Finding Answers: What Should I Put on My Pet ID Tag?

If you’re a one pet tag kind of person, only put the most important information on their ID—but don’t be shy about using multiple tags either. Regardless of number, fit what you can and make sure it’s easy to read.

Here’s what to put on pet ID tags (listed in order of importance):

• Name
• Phone number with area code
• Any significant health conditions (e.g., your pet is deaf or blind)
• Address
• Your vet or pet sitter’s phone number
• Mention of a microchip (if your pet has one)
• A personal message like “Help, I’m lost”
• A possible reward

You can also add the pet license tag you might have received when you registered your cat or dog with a local government agency (FYI many cities require a pet license for dogs).

Even if your cat spends all its time in the great indoors, wearing a collar with ID tag is still a good idea. You should also consider always keeping a collar and tag on your dog except when it’s in a crate. Bedtime is another situation when you might take a dog collar off—unless your canine has access to a doggy door.

Never Lose Hope: Why Get a Pet Microchip

Collars and Pet ID tags can come off. Microchips offer the extra assurance that getting lost is a temporary thing. Each chip is the size of a grain of rice and is safely injected under your pet’s skin between their shoulder blades.

When a pet microchip is scanned, a unique ID number appears on the chip reader. If that number is registered with a pet registration service, important contact and medical information can be easily retrieved. In case something changes like an address or phone number, update that information with the service so they can revise their database.

We often get asked, “Do pet microchips have GPS?” The answer is “no” because they’re radio-frequency identifiers that only work with a scanner. Don’t worry. Most veterinarian offices, animal shelters and even police stations have microchip scanners.

Admit it. You’d be lost without your pet. As long as there are open doors to run through—and until cats or dogs can talk—get your furry friend an ID tag and microchipped.