Written by Dr. Anna, Camden Pet Hospital
To all the pet lovers in our amazing community, how many of you have ever had a pet go missing? It’s unfortunately all too common an occurrence, even for the savviest pet owners. There are always complicating factors of course; fear-filled pets who are scared by noises is probably one of top reasons for pets to run from their homes. Then there are some pets who just seem to make it their life’s mission to slip past you at the door to go for an adrenalin-filled joy-run around the yard and driveway. There’s also the goldfish-brained toddler that just doesn’t have the capacity to remember the importance of closing the door or holding tight to the leash despite being told four seconds before.
Regardless, a lost pet is one of the most distressing things and we often find ourselves in such a panic, we don’t think through things with much clarity. So in today’s pet column I thought I would help give some suggestions and insights to help get lost pets back home faster and with greater ease.
The idea for this article came from one of our team members at Camden who suggested discussing it after seeing a neighborhood member frantically running down the sidewalk asking “have you seen two huskies?!” and running on without sharing their information or location.
There’s some things I’d consider no-brainers to help ensure pets are easily identified and get back to their home should they get lost. First and foremost, have a collar with an ID tag on your pet. You can get an ID tag engraved at some of the large pet stores for a few dollars or you can buy one online or even get a collar that has your pet’s name and your phone number on it.
Second, have your pet microchipped. A microchip is a tiny reflector that’s smaller than a grain of rice that can be put under the skin of your pet so they can be identified easily. A microchip uses RFID (radiofrequency ID) technology to identify objects or read information on a wireless “tag” from a distance without making any physical contact or requiring line of sight. Think of it like the little alarm devices on expensive items at the department store. When it goes through the scanner the ID is picked up and the scanner will alarm. With pet microchips, the tiny little reflector has a unique number (usually 20 digits long) which is ideally linked to the pet’s information. This does require that when that microchip was placed the pet owner registered that number with their pet’s information, location and their own contact information.
A microchip is not a tracking device, it needs a battery to be able to show a location (think of a radio collar on a mountain lion). It is also not sending data to the government, I say that in jest, but I seriously had a client ask me to surgically remove a microchip once because of that fear. When a pet hospital, city animal control, or other animal care official waves a microchip scanner over a lost pet, we hope to hear a “beep” and have a long number displayed on the screen of our reader. We can then look up the number and determine which microchip company the number is (such as HomeAgain or Avid), we then call the microchip company with that number and the status of the pet, and the microchip company will contact the owner on file (if it’s a registered number). Sometimes when the number isn’t registered, we can still at least know where the chip was initially placed (such as a humane society or vet practice) and we can try and sort out who the pet is based on their description by searching records or a Rabies tag # if they have it.
That brings up no-brainer number three: have your pet vaccinated for rabies and make sure they have their rabies tag on their collar.
The next most important things that help minimize loose pets are their collar/harness and their leash. A collar or harness should be tight-fitting so that it cannot slip off when/if they pull backwards. A leash should be a sturdy nylon, 6 feet in length maximum. A leash should not be retractable, the best place for a retractable leash is in the garbage (especially those skinny corded ones that give a wicked rope-burn).
Lastly, my final tips on minimizing the distress of a lost pet is when or if your pet becomes lost, start by making a few phone calls. The sooner the better! First call Minneapolis Animal Care and Control (MACC), then call your microchip company, then your local vet, and finally, let your neighbors know because chances are – your pet hasn’t gone too far and/or will hopefully make their way back to the area. There are other organizations that help with lost pets as well such as “the retrievers,” there is a facebook page for lost pets, as well as neighborhood online pages such as nextdoor or neighborhood facebook pages.
When you’re out searching for your pet have stack of sticky notes you can write your name and phone number on when you see people in the area, or better yet, have a flyer to give them.
Thank you to all the wonderful pet parents for helping keep your pets safe and for all the kind good citizens that help spread the word when we see lost pets out and about!