[Updated 7/24/17]

Summer is in full swing. We love being outside and so do our pets. Unfortunately the number of lost pets seems to be increasing daily. Six easy tips to help you bring your lost dog cat home faster.

In the past week, I heard of 3 lost cats and 2 dogs in the neighborhood. I also heard of a lost dog that didn’t have it’s micro chip information updated. He went home with the person who found him!

During summer the doors are open more. It only takes a push with a nose to open some screen doors. Or someone forgets and leaves the gate open. And sometimes the cat or dog gets curious and gets lost.

As pet parents we must do all we can to help them get home!

When I see a pet without a collar and tags, I get sick to my stomach. My first thought is “How will I get it home?”

Even as the owner of Animal Bridges, I personally learned from experience:

• Lost my father-in-law’s dog of 3 months in the dead of Minnesota winter with below zero temperatures. The dog had tags from the shelter where the dog was originally adopted years ago. The shelter called the family who gave him up due to allergies! Finally my father-in-law was called. The dog was lost for 3 weeks!
• Forgot to update Hobbes’ micro-chip organization after we added new cell phones.
• Noticed Hobbes’ tag only had the house phone number and we were taking Hobbes on a car trip in a few days.
• Found a dog with no collar. Took him to the vet to be scanned. The micro-chip organization listed the adoption organization. It took time to call the adoption organization and wait for them to called the pet parent who then called me. The pet parent was a mile away from me!
• Found a dog with a rabies tag. The vet office was closed. The next morning called the vet who contacted the pet parent who was up all night looking for the dog.

We, as pet parents, can do so much to help reduce the number of lost pets and get our pets home faster.

You can bring your lost dog cat home faster using these 6 tips:

1. Have a collar with tags on your pet at all times. Some people just list a phone number. This way the finder doesn’t know the pet’s name and will not bond with the pet.
2. Or have a collar embroidered with your cell phone number.
3. Have your pet micro-chipped with your current information. Contact the micro-chip organization to be sure it is updated. (Recently a dog was found and the micro-chip was not updated. The dog went home with the person who found him.)
4. When you move or changed phone numbers, update the micro-chip information and update tags.
5. Have you done away with landline? Update your micro-chip information with your cell phone(s) and update the tags.
6. When you adopt a pet, be sure to contact your pet’s microchip organization with your current cell phone numbers, your name, and address. Many adaption organizations want to keep their information listed too.

When a pet is found and taken to a veterinarian or shelter, the clinic/shelter wands the dog/cat to locate a microchip at no charge. The percentage of dogs returned to pet parents is double when the dog is chipped!

The initial cost of the microchip is about $50 and lasts a lifetime. Yes, sometimes the microchip, the size of a piece of rice, may move in the body. It is worth the investment. Also it does not hurt the pet. Cats can be chipped too!

Are you home? Walk over to your pet and check your pet’s collar for a tag with correct cell phone number(s).

Not home right this minute? Make a reminder on your phone with an alarm to check ASAP. Or write a note on your hand.

Does your pet need tags? Please immediately go online or to the local pet supply store and order a tag.

Please bring your lost dog cat home faster!

Thank you for helping keep your dog or cat safe.

Now you can watch your best friend and have a relaxing summer.