Identifying your dog: compulsory or not for the holidays?
Identify your dog with an electronic chip or a tattoo is mandatory! Beyond the legal nature of the thing, it must be a reflex for you… especially for the holidays with your dog. Identification is the one and only way to make the link between you and your animal indisputably. Identification is used for many things, let me convince you. At the end of this article, I share with you the beautiful story that ends well of Thor and Armelle. This story should definitely convince you.
Identifying your animal is mandatory
If your animal gets lost and someone picks it up, if it is not identified there is little chance that we can bring your faithful companion back to you. I myself picked up a stray dog near my house recently. I immediately called my vet and took him to be checked for identification chip. Unfortunately for this poor pooch, that was not the case… I had the reflex to post photos of theanimal on FB groups of lost dogs as pet-alert… He was lucky, his masters had the reflex to consult the same groups. If that hadn't been the case, this poor darling would have ended up in the pound or at the SPA, alone, without his masters, abandoned...
If your dog is identified by a tattoo or an electronic chip, the good charitable soul who will have recovered it will only have to bring it to a veterinarian who will then be able to enter this tattoo into the I-CAD register. Each identification number corresponds to a unique master with his coordinates, so you!
- if your animal has an accident and someone picks it up, its identification number will allow the veterinarian to contact you urgently.
- if you rent a dog friendly accommodation for your holidays, you will be asked the Your pet's vaccination record up to date. Who says up-to-date notebook, says dog identification!
- if your dog has been stolen from you, this is the best way to prove that it belongs to you. And unfortunately for us dog owners, dog theft is far from a legend…
- if your dog has been stolen from you, the identification chip cannot be erased or falsified because it is not immediately visible; while the tattoo can be…. It is inserted into the dog's neck without anesthesia. It is read using a special box.
- if your dog does not have an electronic chip, it will be impossible for him to cross a border. His identification card is mandatory as you are your passport!
- it is also thanks to this number that your special insurance with animals will bear the costs of your animal. No identification, no insurance.
Have you moved? Where adopted your dog recently? If so, have you checked that the I-CAD registry data is up to date? It would be a shame if we found you but couldn't contact you because of a more up-to-date phone number… This is what happened for Thor and Armelle. Armelle's dog ran away and despite hours and days of searching, she never found him. More than a year later, a shelter tried to reach her to tell her that they had just found Thor. His phone number was out of date, so they sent a letter to the mailing address listed. This is how Armelle was able to find Thor several hundred kilometers from her home. Thank you I-CAD! You can discover their lovely story here: Thor and Armelle, a missing dog story that ends well !
Before leaving for holidays with your dog, a quick detour to your vet is in order. Ask him to check that the identification chip for your dog is still active. It happens that over time, it deactivates and in this case, once again, it is impossible to make the link between your dog and you!
In addition to the microchip, I advise you to put a collar on your dog with a nice medal on which you will have to engrave his name and your telephone number. The person who picks up your dog will be able to contact you immediately. Less stress for you and especially less stress for your animal who must be totally scared without you…
Convinced? One last piece of advice, always keep the your dog's identification card that the I-AC sent you or that they will send you once your identified dog. You will be able to report its disappearance more easily with its identification number… Moreover, the I-CAD has set up an application to report a lost or found dog: FILALAPAT.
READ ALSO : Hiking with your dog can't be improvised!, What should your dog's first aid kit contain?, Taking your dog to the beach: some precautions to take
You can also check out the guide I designed on dog training !