5 Minute Guide To Choosing A Pet ID Tag

Buying a Pet ID tag is like buying insurance – you do so with the heartfelt wish that you’re never going to need it. The potential cost” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “actual cost” of buying the pet tag itself.

The type of pet identification tag that you purchase is significant, so take 5 minutes or so to think it through. Impulsively selecting a collar tag because it’s low-priced or cute often proves to be unwise in the long-term.

Consider the following prior to purchasing any pet ID tag:

1. What is the level of risk to your pet?
Missing pets are certainly unexceptional – we’ve all seen “Lost Dog!” signs tacked around town, or dead pets laying by the side of the road. If your pet is a master at escaping the fence, or a breed of dog that can't resist following a scent, or a young pet thatt is full of energy, or a new pet that isn’t properly trained, the potential risk of a lost pet is high.

But losing your pet isn’t the only risk.

Some pets are stolen. A pet thief may take Fifi or Fido in the expectation of getting a reward for its return, or to use in dog fights (even diminutive or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used as “bait”), or for use in cult rituals.

And what is the risk to your pet if something happens to you, its owner?

If you’re a elderly adult with a pet, especially if you live on your own or are in ill health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else will need to care of your furry companion, perhaps with little notice. And anybody can be hit by tragedy or misfortune which leaves you unable to care for your companion.

In this instance, could your pet’s new or temporary care giver be aware that Rover despises cats, or that Fluffy needs medication, or even whether or not Max is house-trained? A pet ID tag that holds more than your name and phone number would be especially beneficial.

2. What level of risk are you comfortable with?
Some pets are simply more valuable to their owners, and the possibility of losing that actual animal warrants a particular, more expensive type of pet ID tag. Risk is in proportion to value.

Note that there is more than one way to assess the importance of your pet. It may be monetary (a rare purebred dog) or functional (a guide dog or herding dog).

But for most pet owners, the emotional attachment they have to a specific pet determines its importance. For many individuals, cats or dogs are household members, very much loved and not possible to take the place of.

3. Based on your answers to the earlier questions, what do you need in a pet ID tag?
Pet ID tags come in varying shapes, sizes and materials and hold varying amounts of information. Some contain logos or artwork too. Most pet ID tags are designed to be worn from a collar.

At a bare minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the name, address and phone number of the pet owner in a durable, legible format. Plastic tags are lightweight but easily chewed. Stainless steel tags are durable and don’t corrode or grow fainter. These traditional types of tags can bought from any veterinarian or pet store. They’re inexpensive but the amount of data they hold is limited to the size of the tag.

Fortunately, you have many additional options in pet tags these days, such as micro chipping, tattooing, digital display tags, pet registry web sites and voice recorded pet ID tags.

One of the most recent entries in the pet identification marketplace is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your pet’s collar (or is attached to their cage) and which holds 64MB of data (including complete medical and diet information). The tiny USB drive is enclosed in a durable plastic case and can be plugged into any computer, where it is easily updated and simple to print sections for sharing with your vet or pet sitter.

No matter what pet ID tag you select, making sure your pet wears some type of pet identification tag to bring peace of mind that far outweighs its cost.