Please ID Your Pets

Did You Know?

Approximately 5 million to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and approximately 3 million to 4 million are euthanized (60% of dogs and 70% of cats). Shelter intakes are about evenly divided between those animals relinquished by owners and those picked up by animal control. These are national estimates; the percentage of euthanasia may vary from state to state. Many strays are lost pets who were not kept properly indoors or provided with identification. (Source: American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA))

Reuniting lost pets with their owners is one of the most rewarding things animal shelters do. But it does not happen often enough. While most people think that it could never happen to them, losing a pet happens much more frequently than they realize. Last year, more than 6 million lost family pets entered our nation's animal shelters.

What makes this reality most unfortunate is that only 16.6% of dogs go back home! The rest are either adopted into new homes or euthanized to make room for the continual influx of unwanted and stray animals arriving at our nation's animal shelters.

The Ticket Home for Lost Pets

When shelters are struggling so hard to find homes for millions of truly homeless animals, it is unfortunate that they cannot reunite these lost pets with their families. Especially when you consider that the ticket home, an ID tag, costs so little.

Middlesex County Animal Shelter is asking pet owners to please put a device on their pet to better help shelters identify and return lost pets, including:

  • A personal ID tag
  • Rabies tag (required by law for all pets)
  • License tag (required by law for all dogs over four months old)
  • Microchip
  • Tattoo
  • Any other device that helps identify your pet

If your pet has a tag with your name and address on it, they will most likely be given a ride home instead of to a shelter.

Cats Too!

Remember that it is not just dogs that need ID. While tagging pets is easy and simple to do, it's something too rarely done for cats. There's controversy as to whether it is safe for cats to wear collars continuously. With a well-fitting collar, cats are totally safe from harm. Cats need ID tags as much as dogs--even more so when you consider the 2% return-to-owner rate!

Please Help Us Spread the Word!

More animals with tags means that more animals will make it home again. And with fewer lost animals taking up shelter space, truly homeless animals will have a greater chance of being adopted!

Give your pets the gift of love: give them ID and help save lives!

Please don't take a chance by assuming only other people's pets get lost or will ever need help! Even the most responsible owners experience unexpected circumstances which cause pets to accidentally stray, becoming lost or injured.