What do the AKC, licensed research laboratories and concerned dog owners have in common?  They all want positive, permanent, easy to trace, identification on dogs.

 The AKC policy states that anyone who sells or gives away a dog registered with the AKC must identify his/her dogs  in such a way that there is no possibility of error in their identification or parentage.  They have the right to inspect the records and examine any dog registered or thought to be registered by the AKC. They give a choice of a collar tag kept on the dog at all times, a microchip (with scanner on the premises) or a tattoo.

 The research facility can lose its license if it is inspected and found to have a tattooed animal .  Therefore, they want to identify your  dog in order not to acquire it in the first place!

 And, you, the concerned dog owner, love your dogs and would be devastated if he or she were lost or stolen.  You would want to be able to prove a dog was yours and you'd even want to know if your dog met a tragic end instead of never knowing what happened.

 Let's examine each of the identification options the AKC suggests.

The collar tag.   I think dogs should wear collars and tags whenever they are outside of the house or kennel. Should the public encounter the dog, they are conditioned to look for a collar tag and the tag is an easy, concise place to record important information.  Collar tags should be used in addition  to another form of identification, however.  Tags cannot  be relied on as they are too easily lost, removed or destroyed. Collar tags  can be the first line of defense or a backup, but should never be the only ID your dog must depend on.  It is *not* advisable to have your dog's name on a collar tag, however.

The microchip. This is the latest technology, and, in my opinion, it could well be the way of the future. I have had some major reservations regarding microchips, but recently I received an email indicating that many of them have been resolved. Make up your own mind in deciding if this is a good way to identify your animals. In my opinion, there are still some disadvantages to the microchip including the possibility that some implants have been known to migrate under the skin and no long-term studies have been done on the safety of the chip within the animals' bodies. However, what makes microchip implants totally  useless at this time, is that since it is invisible and cannot be detected or decoded without a compatible scanner, the average person who might find a dog has no way of knowing it is there. If you choose to microchip, I also recommend that you tattoo and register as below.

The tattoo. Tattooing has routinely been done to identify animals for many years.  The most well-known registries. I. D. Pet and National Dog Registry, have both been in operation since the mid-1960's while Tatoo-A-Pet joined them in 1972. The AKC, CAR (Companion Animal Registry) began in the 1990s.  ID Pet sold their company to NDR in 2006.

  While continuing education for the general population about tattooing is an on-going challenge, most shelters, police departments and others who need to be aware of lost or stolen dogs are  knowledgeable about tattoos.
 Tattoos are painless to apply, cosmetically acceptable when done in the groin by a skilled tattooer, instantly traceable,and, when an individual number is used on each dog, satisfies the AKC's requirements.

 Litters should be tattooed prior to sale.  This protects the dogs as early as possible.  It gives the breeder peace-of-mind by not having to rely on a new owner to protect the puppy.  It also protects the breeder so a dog not bred by him/her cannot be returned by an unscrupulous person. Because Danes are routinely cropped, this is an excellent time to tattoo, however, anesthesia is not  needed for tattooing.  There is an English Springer Spaniel breeder and a Pug breeder in my area for whom we routinely do Puppy Aptitude Testing at 49 days of age. Following the testing, each dog is tattooed.  Further, we regularly offer tattooing at obedience classes. Dogs come out of class, are tattooed, and return to class with no loss of attitude.

 Skin varies according to the individual dog.  With a dog the size a  Great Dane will become, it is necessary to consider that possible stretching of the tattoo may occur with growth.  Therefore, it is advisable to make the tattoo on a 7 week old puppy as small as possible.  Some tattoos stretch minimally, some a little more.  My policy is to guarantee the legibility of the tattoo.  This means I will touch up any tattoo I do should it ever be unreadable. Occasionally, this becomes necessary, but it is so much better to re-touch later and have the protection provided from the earliest age. 

 Tattoo prices vary depending on the tattooer and the registry used.  See below for tattoo registry contact information.

More than 1,000,000 pets are lost or stolen each year. Few pets get back home.

Weight the odds in your animal's favor with a permanent, individual tattoo and registration.

Overcrowded animal shelters and humane societies are often forced to destroy lost pets unless they can be returned to their owners in a very short time.

  Dog nappers usually release an animal they find is permanently identified but this may be miles from home.

  Even though many people are willing to take a dog in before it gets to a shelter, unless they are very fortunate and the pet has a collar on, most times the pet cannot be returned to its owners.

In all of these situations, tattooing and registration protection will greatly increase your dog or cat's chances of returning home safely.

Yes, in several ways. The tattoo, collar tag, and warning decals all tell a potential thief that what he is about to steal can be positively identified. Few wish to run the risk of being caught with readily identifiable property.

 The fee for applying the tattoo varies by area of the country and the number of animals being done at one time. Inquire about the fees for your particular needs.  

   Tatoo-A-Pet
6571 S.W. 20th Ct. Ft. Lauderdale FL 33317
Telephone: (954) 581-5834 or (800) TATTOOS (828-8667)
Fax: (954) 581-0056
info@tattoo-a-pet.com

http://www.akccar.org/enroll/index.cfm
AKC Companion Animal Recovery (CAR) accepts all pets that are identified with a microchip, tattoo, or the new AKC CAR collar tag. You can enroll your pet today by simply choosing to enroll online, or call 1-800-252-7894 to request an enrollment form.

  NDR (National Dog Registry)
POB 51105
Mesa, AZ 85208
800-NDR-DOGS