One out of every three pets will be lost and away from their
family at least once in their lives. More than five million dogs
and cats leave home every year, either walking away or carried off by
unscrupulous individuals. So, if a pet owner finds out that his or her
four legged companion is gone, what’s the best steps for reuniting?
Drs. Beauchamp, Brazik, and Claypool of Leland Veterinary Hospital believe prevention, of course is the best option and veterinarians have long advocated the importance of some sort of identification on your pet. Most people opt for simple ID tags or collars, but these are easily lost or even removed. Tattoos have been used, but many pet owners, animal shelters or even veterinarians are unsure of where to call if they find a pet with a tattoo. Microchips are a safe and effective means of permanent identification, but only about 5% of pets in North America have had this device implanted.
Many pet owners have wound up kicking themselves because they rejected the veterinarians offer to microchip their pet and register it with a national registry.
Some pet owners have opted for GPS collars and devices, but results have been mixed. Complaints about battery life, difficult collar attachments and slow notifications when the pet leaves the designated area have all been reported.
Regardless
of whether any identification is available or not, fast action is needed when
your pet comes up missing. Veterinarians recommend that you contact local
animal shelters, veterinary offices and even pet stores within a five to ten
mile radius of your home to be on the lookout for your lost animal.
Websites like HelpMeFindMyPet.com or PetAmberAlert.com also offer services to
registered members. These might include faxing or calling all pet related
businesses within a 50 mile radius or even creating flyers for you to print and
post in your community.
Having a current picture of your pet is also vital in your efforts to get the lost animal back home. In your pet’s case, you can use your pet’s picture to create a new page on Facebook as well as flyers to be sent in the mail. The outreach in social media can connect you with even more empathetic pet owners who, in turn, will help spread the word.
If your pet is lost, involve your veterinarian in the quest to get the wayward animal back home. Often, your veterinary team may have ideas and resources that can help quickly spread the word. At Leland Veterinary Hospital, we use Home Again microchipping. This device can be registered with a national registry that will send out email to help locate your pet. These chips can be read by almost any scanner in the United States and then a 1-800 number is called to locate the owner. Folks who have had to use this service swear by its results.
Drs. Beauchamp, Brazik, and Claypool of Leland Veterinary Hospital believe prevention, of course is the best option and veterinarians have long advocated the importance of some sort of identification on your pet. Most people opt for simple ID tags or collars, but these are easily lost or even removed. Tattoos have been used, but many pet owners, animal shelters or even veterinarians are unsure of where to call if they find a pet with a tattoo. Microchips are a safe and effective means of permanent identification, but only about 5% of pets in North America have had this device implanted.
Many pet owners have wound up kicking themselves because they rejected the veterinarians offer to microchip their pet and register it with a national registry.
Some pet owners have opted for GPS collars and devices, but results have been mixed. Complaints about battery life, difficult collar attachments and slow notifications when the pet leaves the designated area have all been reported.
Regardless
of whether any identification is available or not, fast action is needed when
your pet comes up missing. Veterinarians recommend that you contact local
animal shelters, veterinary offices and even pet stores within a five to ten
mile radius of your home to be on the lookout for your lost animal.
Websites like HelpMeFindMyPet.com or PetAmberAlert.com also offer services to
registered members. These might include faxing or calling all pet related
businesses within a 50 mile radius or even creating flyers for you to print and
post in your community.Having a current picture of your pet is also vital in your efforts to get the lost animal back home. In your pet’s case, you can use your pet’s picture to create a new page on Facebook as well as flyers to be sent in the mail. The outreach in social media can connect you with even more empathetic pet owners who, in turn, will help spread the word.
If your pet is lost, involve your veterinarian in the quest to get the wayward animal back home. Often, your veterinary team may have ideas and resources that can help quickly spread the word. At Leland Veterinary Hospital, we use Home Again microchipping. This device can be registered with a national registry that will send out email to help locate your pet. These chips can be read by almost any scanner in the United States and then a 1-800 number is called to locate the owner. Folks who have had to use this service swear by its results.
For more information about microchipping, contact Leland
Veterinary Hospital, 508 Village Rd, Leland, NC 28451, 910-371-3440. Or visit our website
www.myvetonline.com/lelandvh.
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