Part of responsible pet ownership is making sure your furry friends can be swiftly identified if they ever go missing and find themselves at the RSPCA, council pound or with a member of the public. The need for multiple and varied forms of ID is essential as no one type is completely fool proof.
Ideally your pet should have:
- An RSPCA VIP tag
- A Microchip
- A council registration tag and
- A personal tag with name and phone number
Combined, these 4 easily obtainable forms of ID will guarantee that your pet can be identified in any situation.
RSPCA VIP (Very Important Pet) TAG
An RSPCA VIP tag is a coloured plastic tag with your pet's individual ID number and our 24 hour hotline. Should a member of the public, a vet or the council find your pet they will simply need to call our hotline, quote your pet's ID number and we will put them through to you. This means that at any time of the day or night you can be reunited with your loved one.
RSPCA VIP tags never expire and are well worth a small contribution of $5 for the peace of mind they provide. To purchase a VIP tag for your cat or dog you can call us on (07) 3426 9999 or purchase one at your local RSPCA shelter.
Microchipping
A Microchip is the size of a large grain of rice and is implanted between the shoulder blades of your pet. When scanned with a microchip scanner, a number is revealed which correlates to an independent microchip registry where your personal details are recorded. They usually cannot be felt through the skin and a tattoo in the ear does not indicate the animal is microchipped (it usually means it is desexed).
Although microchips are a fantastic form of identification, they do have their faults and as such should not be solely relied upon. Microchips can slip out of place and be missed in a scan, they can be faulty and not scan all together and they will only be useful if you keep your contact details up to date with your microchip registry. Furthermore, a member of the public who finds your pet on the street will not have a microchip scanner with them and may not think to take the animal to a vet and may simply assume it has no ID at all.
To get your pet microchipped contact your local vet today!
Are your pet's microchip details up to date? If not, contact the registry their microchip is registered with and update these details today!
Don't know what registry your pet’s microchip details are with? Contact the vet who implanted the chip or look it up on petaddress.com.au
Personal ID Tag
Personal ID tags come in many shapes, sizes and styles. Check out RSPCA World for Pets, we have engraving machines on site that can produce beautiful tags.
