Yet every day pets do escape from their properties and go missing. Their distraught owners are then left trying to find them.
How can pet owners ensure that their pets can be identified, should their pets get lost?
Boksburg SPCA manager, Maggie Mudd, gives advice.
Collar and disc
There are a number of ways that can make being reunited with a lost pet so much simpler. The most well known is the traditional collar and disc. The Boksburg SPCA gets very frustrated when a stray animal is brought into its care, wearing a collar but no ID disc. It does not take very long to attach an ID disc to a collar and, with the information on the disc, the animal can immediately be reunited with the owner. Both collars and ID discs are sold by the SPCA. Collars range from R20 to R55, depending on the size, and ID discs are R25 each.
Micro-chipping
This is a tiny electronic chip that is inserted into the back of the neck of domestic animals by means of an injection. It can then be read by a microchip scanner. It is painless and quick, and is an excellent way to prove ownership of the animal, for example if it is stolen and then found on someone else’s property. When the chip is inserted, the owner is requested to fill in forms that relate directly to the unique number of the microchip. Microchips are sold at the SPCA for R250 and the society will register the microchip for you.
Tattoo
This used to be a very popular means of identifying the owner of a lost animal. Certain breeds of dogs, such as German shepherds, were commonly seen with tattoos in their ears. This tattoo number is registered with either the Kennel Union of South Africa (KUSA) or the German Shepherd Federation, and the details of the owner can be traced via the tattoo number.
Which one is best?
It is always suggested that a combination of at least two of the above methods be used on an animal, as the average person who finds a lost animal may not know where to look for a tattoo and will not be able to detect a microchip without the use of a scanner. Often, the effort put into finding the owner of a lost animal depends on how easy it is to track him or her down.
