Clark County Humane Society
Do You Want to Lose Your Pet?
Have you thought what you’d do if you lost your beloved pet? Most respond “That won’t happen, they never leave the yard!” Well the fact is, most of the MILLIONS of animals coming into shelters each year are strays who “never leave the yard”! There are many ways to lose a pet --- all it takes is once, and you may never see them again ... unless you use proper identification:
Rabies Tag / License Tag
By law each dog must be vaccinated for rabies & be licensed in the city or township in which you live. To show proof, both tags must be on their collar at all times. Failure to comply means you’ve violated STATE LAW and are setting yourself up for huge fines over $100 (1st offense)! With these tags on, shelters can locate your info and return your pet safely!
Identification Tag
These are sold just about everywhere now, including CCHS! Cute or plain, they will have your pet’s name and your info in case someone should find the animal. This way anyone finding the pet can return it back to you, instead of counting on someone to take it to the shelter or file a report. Most people assume untagged strays to be abandoned. Those pets often end up being kept by finders, given away or even sold to research labs. Your beloved pet may live a life or horror. So please, make sure tags are on at ALL times, even when the animal is at home!
Microchip
A microchip is a small, electronic chip (approximately the size of a grain of rice) that is implanted just under your pet's skin in the shoulder blade area. It is administered quickly and painlessly by a simple injection at shelters and vets. It is available at CCHS $15, and will last a lifetime! CCHS ‘chips’ all pets leaving now for no extra charge! Your pet will have its own ID ‘chip’ number linked to your name, address, and phone number. If your pet gets lost, shelters, pounds and vet clinics will be able to scan your pet to quickly locate the ID number and get him home! Microchips will be there forever, unlike a collar, which is very frequently lost. Information can easily be changed in case of a move. This also protects your pet from being sold to research labs who do experiments beyond belief! Law states that all animals coming into those facilities are required to be scanned for the chips and if found, excluded from experimentation. You’d be surprised at how many people do steal and sell pets out there, especially in our rural area where pets run loose! This is highly recommended!
These are the main types of ID for pets. Having just one form is better than nothing, but still may not guarantee their safe return. If you truly love your pet and want them back, you need to use all forms....just in case!