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Don’t Leave Your Pet’s Safety to Chance

Posted April 2, 2009

Every pet owner has had a close call.

Maybe one day a visitor forgot to close the door all the way and your cat made a break for the great outdoors. Or you were walking your dog and he lunged after a squirrel, almost causing you to drop the leash. Or he accidentally stepped on the window controls in the car and started to jump out.

These moments are frightening reminders that losing your best friend could be just a split second away. They are also why American Humane spreads awareness of the importance of tagging and microchipping pets (pets can easily lose their collars, which is why we recommend both forms of identification).

Although pet identification is something we work on throughout the year, it comes to the forefront during an event we call Every Day Is Tag Day™. This year, Tag Day falls on April 4.

If you haven’t tagged and microchipped your pet, there’s no time like the present. I know that between those close calls, it’s easy to let a false sense of security take hold. But according to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, every year 1 million dogs and 500,000 cats are taken to U.S. shelters as strays -- and only 15 percent of dogs and 2 percent of cats are ever reunited with their owners.

On the flip side, owners who do the responsible thing are rewarded with peace of mind and, in many cases, happy reunions. I recently heard of a dog named Hope who was stolen from her own backyard right before Christmas. Her family was devastated, and five long years passed.

Imagine the family’s joy when Hope turned up one day at a humane society. Because the dog had been microchipped, the workers were able to perform a quick scan to find her owner, a woman named Sarah. Hope immediately recognized Sarah, and when the two were reunited, Hope readily performed her old “greeting routine” of sitting, giving kisses and dancing.

Please follow Sarah’s lead to avoid your pet becoming a statistic. Act now to ensure his or her future safety!

Read more reunion stories in the latest edition of The National Humane Review.

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This is not an open forum, but American Humane welcomes all comments and points of view. We will post selected comments that are considerate and thought-provoking, and we may edit comments for brevity, grammar and/or inflammatory language.

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Comments

Submitted by Terri at: April 8, 2009

I am a member of American Humane and I so happy for the work it does to protect animals and children. Children and animals are defenseless and their care and comfort should be number one on anyone's priority list.

Submitted by Marie Belew Wheatley at: April 7, 2009

Thank you for sharing your ideas. It is wonderful to hear that you care so much about animals. However, I want to note that American Humane does not endorse bicycling with dogs in most instances. I checked with one of our animal welfare experts and she advised that it is potentially very dangerous for both the person and the dog. Using any type of regular leash is extremely dangerous because it can easily become tangled around the bike or tires. There is also danger if the person needs to stop or avoid a hazard and the dog keeps running. The third danger is that a large or strong dog could pull the bike and person into traffic, down a hill, or into another dangerous situation. Even a well-trained dog may be inclined to chase another dog or a squirrel, and may not respond to verbal commands to stop under such a temptation. We feel that if a person is going to attempt biking with their dog, the dog must first be obedience trained and reliably respond to all verbal commands, even under distracting circumstances such as encounters with other animals. Many dogs may never reach that level of obedience. Also, there are special spring-type attachments for bicycles that are made especially for exercising dogs, and they are the only acceptable means of attaching a dog to a bike. Please never use a regular leash, rope, or chain!

Submitted by wenderina at: April 6, 2009

2 ideas- 1)Earmark part of your Will to animal shelter projects! I've got over $120,000 in life insurance, no dependents, 3/4 going for this cause. 2) Tie your dog (if >1 yrs old) to your bicycle (short rope) under your seat. Go slow, bring water and wear out a hyper dog!

Submitted by Melinda at: April 6, 2009

I just wanted to let you know that Pet E. R. Guide (A Directory of 24-Hour and After-Hour Veterinary Facilities in the United States), published by a major publisher, is a book I wrote for those who travel near or far with their pets. It has over 700 facilities that are JUST either 24-HOUR or AFTER-HOUR for the help you need when your pet needs help after hours. Please know about the existance of this book. It could save a life. It wasn't there for us when we needed help, so I wrote it. I'd be happy to answer any questions or forward your questions to my publisher. Happy Trails and Happy Tails! Melinda Lord www.petemergencybook.com