The Importance Of Id Tags

[whippetsrus]

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THE IMPORTANCE OF ID TAGS ON DOGS

It is a legal requirement that all dogs wear an ID Tag. This tag should have the dogs name and surname, full address including postal code and a home telephone number minimum. You may also, if you wish, have a mobile number, vets number and whether your dog is chipped. The importance of this.....

I was out walking my three tonight on a walk I have been doing for many months so I know most of the dogs around there when we met a strange black labrador. Very boisterous but friendly. At first I thought he belonged to one of the houses as they have labs but they were both present and correct. Eventually managing to calm the dog so I could look as his tag there was his name in big block capitals and the telephone number so minuscule that I struggled to read it as I did not have my reading specs. I tried ringing the number many times but the mobile was switched off. No address so I could not just return the dog and make sure he was secure if the owners were out.

In all honesty, I believe that the dog was abandoned as I had never seen him before and none of the locals recognised him nor did he answer to the name on the tag. However, had that dog had the correct information on the tag I could have had him home safe and sound, unharmed. As it was one of the locals offered to take him in and I called in at the pub to leave a message just in case anyone went in looking.

PLEASE TAG YOUR DOG CORRECTLY. The best dogs escape and a phone number is not adequate for instant return. The dog may well have been microchipped but by the time I got back to my car it was 6pm and the local vets were shut!

 

[T Hoare]

Crist the tag would have to huge to get all that info on.

I agree that in accordance with the law a dog should have a tag but if the dog slips its collar this would be of no use(no matter how much info is either on it or not). A microchip or tattoo would be there all the time though.

I would never put the dogs name on the tag personally. my surname & phone number is on one side & the other side has the info from JR Whippet rescue(which is where we got the tags from)

 

[whippetsrus]

If the dog slipped it's collar of course having that info would be irrelevant. However, this dog could not been taken to be scanned for a chip as local vets were shut. The only number was a mobile which was switched off and is still switched off now at 21:10.

Might be a lot of information but it's on the boys tags and they are microchipped as well.

 

[masta]

Telephone number pref mobile all thats needed no way would i put address on, too big a security risk

 

[T Hoare]

Telephone number pref mobile all thats needed no way would i put address on, too big a security risk

Yes I agree as unfortunatly these days you have to think of the opposite...dog found, this could be useful, where could I get more?!

Its a shame that we have to think like this but the geniune folk(like you whippetsrus) in the world are few & far between & all to full of non desirables

 

[whippetsrus]

Maybe Tracy. However, had I been a dog thief I could easily have taken the dog in question yesterday and nobody would have been any the wiser. It's all well and good having a phone number on the tag but having tried that number nine times during the evening and still the phone was switched off what exactly did that tag achieve. A lost dog!

 

[teachtrinity]

my girls tags have my surname and my mobile number on.. my figuring is if they go missing it would be when I am out walking them and I would want someone to be able to contact me immediately, I wouldnt have the girls names on the tags or my address for security reasons. Even when the address is on the tag there is no guarantee there will be anyone home.

I have found several 'stray' dogs in the past and agree it is a nightmare, our local dog warden finishes work at 3.30 on a Friday till 9am on Monday so if you find a stray dog at the weekend you basically have to keep it in your house or take it to a vets and say you think it is injured even when it is not the last one I found had a collar and address but noone was home, he was also chipped but the owners could not be reached (he was a repeat strayer and was subsequently rehomed)

 

[Esty]

I know people don't want to put addresses on but as far as I know it is the law to have the owner's name and address on Anything else is optional, including phone number. I put mine down as my house number and the postcode to get around this but I guess it would be easy enough for someone to google the postcode and find the street name. I also have my mobile number and my vet's number.

I also have found four stray dogs in the last couple of months, none with tags of any description. I end up spending my time walking around looking for owners who don't seem to learn or care. One of them ( a pup) turned up AGAIN a couple of weeks ago as ''found'' by someone else (I discovered this as I get notifications from doglost), still with no tag. Luckily, I remembered where the man lived and could tell them and I think the DW went round to tell him about tags etc. Another poor dog turned out to be part Pitbull and is still in kennels waiting for his owner to get his act together with the paperwork. I couldn't bring him in my house as my dogs wouldn't have liked him and myself and my son took turns sitting outside with this poor dog waiting for the DW to turn up

 

[Strike Whippets]

My lots tags have my surname and telephone numbers on one side and on the other side Vet and vets tel number ..... simple but covers all important basis as know my vet well and know they'd know the history of each dog if they arrived there injured, but luckily never lost any of my lot .... mine have the reverse problem as can't get them to run away from me even at racing (w00t) and have taught them if anything frightens them to come straight back to me for security and not to flee and then I sort out whatever scared them :- this goes to the dogs I've fostered over the years too ...... Simple obedience )

 

[masta]

I know people don't want to put addresses on but as far as I know it is the law to have the owner's name and address on Anything else is optional, including phone number. I put mine down as my house number and the postcode to get around this but I guess it would be easy enough for someone to google the postcode and find the street name. I also have my mobile number and my vet's number.
I also have found four stray dogs in the last couple of months, none with tags of any description. I end up spending my time walking around looking for owners who don't seem to learn or care. One of them ( a pup) turned up AGAIN a couple of weeks ago as ''found'' by someone else (I discovered this as I get notifications from doglost), still with no tag. Luckily, I remembered where the man lived and could tell them and I think the DW went round to tell him about tags etc. Another poor dog turned out to be part Pitbull and is still in kennels waiting for his owner to get his act together with the paperwork. I couldn't bring him in my house as my dogs wouldn't have liked him and myself and my son took turns sitting outside with this poor dog waiting for the DW to turn up

think you will find anything involving dogs and "law" is a very grey area

 

[FeeFee]

The law about dog tags is quite clear, and as Esty says the only legal requirement is for the owner's name and address to be on the tag - though whether anyone ever checks or enforces it is another matter.

I don't have my dogs' names on their tags - not because of security (they would go to anyone with a biscuit whether they knew their names or not) but because I get the tags done for all five and a couple spare for fosters so its easier/cheaper if they are all the same. I don't have a problem putting my address on either, I've never been sure why this is seen as a security risk?

I have my street address, postcode, landline and mobile numbers in a circle round the outside of the tag plus 'neutered and chipped' in the middle, it all fits quite neatly onto one tag :thumbsup: