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Little Dog Lost? Not Always

Denise Flaim | Animal House

July 24, 2001

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THE BACKYARD GATE is ajar, Fluffy is nowhere to be found, and all of a sudden you feel like a Scud missile is doing the macarena in your stomach.

The American Humane Association estimates that only about 16 percent of lost dogs and 2 percent of lost cats in shelters are reunited with their owners. Let's hope those statistics will remain just that for you - statistics. But there are some ways to improve the odds of finding your household animals if someday they wander - or fly or slither or hop - off into the scary blue yonder.

It should go without saying that a dog needs to be licensed and wear identifying tags at all times. Putting tags on cats, especially ones that venture outdoors, is just as important; be sure the collar is elastic or breakaway, so kitty doesn't risk strangulation if she gets caught on a branch.

The avian corollary to an ID tag is a leg band. If your bird is banded, write down the number carefully. "If there is a sideways 'S,' copy it that way," says Susan Chamberlain, president of the Long Island Parrot Society. Having a good photo of your animal is crucial. "On blue and gold macaws, for example, the black feathers on the face are almost like fingerprints - no two are alike," says Chamberlain, who also advises owners to make a tape recording of their bird's voice.

Denise Flaim Bio | E-mail | Recent columns

Since animals can and do slip out of collars, consider a more permanent form of identification, such as microchipping. In an office procedure that does not require anesthesia, your vet inserts a capsule the size of a rice grain, usually between the shoulder blades of a cat or dog. (For birds, the standard injection site is the breast muscle. And most every animal - including reptiles and even fish - can be safely microchipped.) When the lost animal is found and checked with a handheld scanner, the chip transmits a registration number kept on file with the microchip company.

Two popular "pet retrieval" systems are HomeAgain and Avid. No matter what system you choose, make sure it is universal - that its chip can be read by scanners of competing systems. (The Match Show Bulletin usually lists tattoo and microchip clinics; call 516-541- 3442 to subscribe.)

Although some people are concerned about introducing an alien object into their animal's body, or about the possibility that the chip will "travel," the biggest drawback to microchips is that if no one scans for them, they are useless. And although many shelters are equipped with scanners, some do not make it routine practice to use them.

A less popular option, especially for dogs, is tattooing. Yes, having your Social Security number inked into your dog's thigh is not the most aesthetically pleasing sight when Fido is in full sprawl, but it is hard to overlook. Information is then filed with an organization such as the National Dog Registry (800-NDR-DOGS, www.natldogregis try.com). Tattooing takes minutes and doesn't require anesthesia; finding a canine tattooist, however, can be a challenge.

The American Kennel Club's Companion Animal Recovery program (800- 252-7894) maintains a worldwide database for tattooed and microchipped animals. With about 1 million animals enrolled, the AKC says it is the largest database of its kind in the nation. And enrollment is not limited to purebred dogs; mixed breeds, cats - any animal, actually - can be registered.

Finally, the best defense against losing a companion animal is common sense: Make sure your fence gates have springs so they close automatically, and consider interior locks so they can only be opened from inside or with a key. Don't open windows wide enough for animals to jump out; don't assume that they won't jump through screens.

And sadly, don't put blind faith in the integrity of the human race. Pet thefts are more common than you might think, and they occur for reasons more horrific than you might imagine. Stolen animals sometimes wind up as bait in dog fights, or are sold to puppymills as breeding stock. And though federal law requires research institutions to buy lab animals only from USDA-licensed dealers, there is reportedly an underground market of "bunchers" - unlicensed sellers who cruise residential neighborhoods and snatch unattended animals.

Although researchers contend that "bunching" is urban legend at best and animal-rights propaganda at worst, thousands of animals disappear from yards in warm-weather months. Wherever they're going, it can't be good.