Dogs can’t tell strangers where they live; it’s up to you to be their voice.

7 days to rescue your dog.

The UK is known worldwide as a nation of dog lovers. In fact, we own an estimated 8.5 million dogs! Sadly figures show that 102,000 are picked up as strays every year. That’s 279 dogs per day. Only 40,000 of them are unwanted, though, as according to environmental law, any dog found on its own, even if it has a collar and tag, will be treated as a stray and taken to the local council rescue centre, where the 7-day countdown begins for an owner to come forward or be traced. Anything you can do to speed up this process by having the correct ID and having your dog microchipped will mean you get reunited with your dog as quickly as possible.

UK laws state that all dogs must wear an ID collar or tag with their owner’s name, address and postcode when they are in a public place and being microchipped. It’s not enough to just have them chipped.

My Dog never runs off.

Never say never! Dogs can be unpredictable. Maybe a friend or dog sitter is walking your dog for you, maybe you are in a strange place, and they get confused, maybe they jump out of the car when you park up, or you are involved in an accident, and they run off. There are so many reasons why the unthinkable can happen. Make sure you give your dog the best chance of being reunited quickly and with the least amount of stress for you and your best friend.

Annoyed with that Jingle Jangle?

The most popular metal dangling ID tags are mostly made from metal. They usually have the dog’s/owner’s detail etched on them. They are a great way to find out about the dog if you can get close for a peek. They are usually small to fit a dog’s collar.

They are practical, but they do have some risks associated with using them:

• Crate: Problems occur when the identification tags get stuck in the bars of the crate.
• Branch: While a dog may love romping through the woods, branches can easily snag the tag, either losing the tag or trapping the dog.
• Heating/Cooling air vents: The hanging identification tags can get stuck in air vents, and while the dog struggles, they end up doing more harm than good.

If that wasn’t enough, they also constantly have a jingle jangle noise, which can be very annoying. Eventually, you may learn to block it out or even rely on them to hear what mischievous your dog is up to.

They can wake you up at night hearing them bash against the water bowl or set the neighbour’s dogs off when you let them out for the last wee before bed.

They can also be easily lost; etched versions will normally fade or rub off over time. Meaning you will have to replace them throughout their lives.

What details do you need on your Dog’s ID

According to UK law, if your dog is in a public place, it must have a collar or tag with the owner’s name and address details, with fines up to £5000. Your dog must also be microchipped.

You need to have by Law:

• Owners Name
• Owners Address including Postcode

You might not like having your address on the tag but consider how easy it would be if you found a dog, it was only a couple of streets away, and you could easily take them back without the need to phone vets or RSPCA.

I didn’t used to put my street address on my dogs’ tags.
Two weeks ago, I was on my way to an appointment out of town. Two dogs ran out in front of me on a back road. I picked them up – of course!
I called the phone number and got an answering machine. I decided to plug their address into my SatNav to see where they live. It wasn’t too far out of my way, so I drove to the house and found their owner outside.
For that reason, I now put my address on my dogs’

Advisable by the Kennel Club:

• Phone Number – Mobile rather than a landline. If you are out frantically searching for your dog, you don’t want someone to be sitting at home waiting for a phone call.

To name or not to name?

Should you put your dog’s name on your Dog ID?

There are two arguments:

• Yes, the dog may only respond to a kindly stranger trying to help them if they feel comfortable or feel the person actually knows them or is concerned for their welfare if they have escaped from your home or garden and they are lost or injured. The sound of the stranger saying their name may break down the fear of the unknown person and allow them to help your dog.
• No, if people see the name, they can take it as an opportunity to lure your dog away from you and steal them.

Introduced this year (April 2016) as UK law. Now anyone finding a stray can take the dog to a rescue centre or vet to have them scanned and details checked in the official PetLog Database. You will then be notified and be able to collect them.

The problem with microchipping is if somebody finds your dog late at night or on a Sunday, these facilities are closed. They may be unable to accommodate your dog overnight or not have transport. This may lead to them just making a phone call to a relevant agency and leaving the dog to roam. How much easier would it be for them to phone you directly?

“I have helped a staffy with no collar before that was running around on the main road! Ended up having to leave him at the police station as we had a surprise family birthday party to host so literally could not sit around waiting for the dog warden to turn up but it was a right palava, that dog could have been back with his owner much easier if he had, had tags on. As it was I don’t know what happened to him 🙁 He was a lovely dog.” – John

This is great unless, of course, it is late at night or on a Sunday. This would mean the finder would have to accommodate your dog or find someone who can. This would put extra stress on your dog being in a strange place overnight.