Every Day is Tag Day

Visible ID tags let anyone who finds a pet call the owner immediately, while a microchip provides a permanent backup if the collar or tag is missing.

Animal welfare groups and veterinarians recommend using both, since tags are the fastest way for a neighbor or passerby to help, and microchips give shelters and clinics a reliable way to identify the animal even years later, as long as the chip is registered and the contact details are current.  

Experts suggest putting at least a current mobile phone number and, where space allows, a second backup number, plus any critical medical need such as “needs meds” rather than detailed diagnoses.

Some humane groups also recommend including the pet’s name and city, and relying on the microchip registry or veterinary records for full address and medical information so the small tag stays clear and easy to read in an emergency.  

Veterinarians describe microchipping as a quick procedure similar to getting a routine vaccine.

A tiny chip about the size of a grain of rice is injected under the skin, usually between the shoulder blades, using a sterile applicator.

No surgery or general anesthesia is needed, most animals only react as they would to a standard shot, and complications are rare when the chip is implanted by trained veterinary staff.  

Animal organizations report that many animals admitted to shelters were believed to be “indoor only” pets that slipped out through a door, window, or during a move.

Because it is impossible to predict accidents, they recommend that even indoor cats and dogs wear a breakaway or flat collar with an ID tag and have a registered microchip so they can be clearly identified and returned if they ever get outside by mistake.  

When a stray arrives, staff typically scan the pet with a handheld microchip reader that sends a low radio signal to the chip.

The chip responds with a unique ID number, which the clinic or shelter looks up in one or more microchip registries to find the owner’s contact details.

This process only works if the chip number has been registered and the phone numbers and email addresses in the database have been kept up to date.  

Animal welfare groups note several frequent misunderstandings, including the belief that microchips act like GPS trackers, that a microchip alone makes a collar unnecessary, or that friendly, indoor, or “outdoor” cats do not need tags.

In reality, microchips only store an ID number, do not provide location, work best alongside a visible tag, and are strongly recommended for all pets because any animal can become lost due to accidents, storms, or household changes.  

Veterinary and humane organizations recommend checking tags regularly for legibility and damage, and updating both tags and microchip records whenever there is a change in phone number, email, or home address.

They also advise reviewing identification details before and after major life events like moving house, changing primary veterinarians, or taking extended trips, since outdated information is one of the main reasons microchipped pets are not successfully reunited with their families.